MONUSCO multi-disciplinary mission comprised of the following sections: Public Information, Civil Affairs, Child Protection, BCNUDH, DDR-RR and United Nations Joint Human Right Office visited Lulimbi, in the far-south of the Territory of Fizi, South-Kivu province on Tuesday 23 June 2015 to interact with the local community, 220 km away from Uvira and encourage them to perpetuate the civilian protection mechanism in place after Mission’s decision to close its operational military base in the area..

Five years ago, the UN Mission, through its Civil Affairs Section, set up several civilian protection mechanisms, especially through early warnings for local communities, following the conflicts between cattle breeders and farmers in Kilicha, incursions by armed groups into the artisanal gold mining site in Misisi, as well as sexual violence involving FDLR Rwandan combatants, “those tools helped MONUSCO stop exactions», recalls a resident of Lulimba.

Furthermore, joint patrols MONUSCO-FARDC were regularly organized in and outside Lulimbi, as well as daily contacts with local traditional leaders, military personnel and civilians. After withdrawal by MONUSCO from the area, local populations should make use of such gains. The community of Lulimbi were therefore urged to set up a local structure to deal with civilians’ protection.

This initiative is a response to Congolese government’s request and the implementation of the last United Nations Security Council Resolution (2211) (Dramane to introduce a link on the Resolution) which recommends, inter alia, that the United Nations Mission for the Stabilization of the DR Congo, MONUSCO, gradually reduce its strengths in anticipation for peaceful drawdown, which raises fear among civilian populations. As an example, in the South-Kivu, several hundred Egyptian peacekeepers returned to their country in April 2015. MONUSCO has organized information and sensitization sessions to explain the content of this Resolution to the populations on the civilian protection mechanisms.

During the sensitization, civilian population in Lulimbi expressed their serious concerns over the UN Mission’s disengagement from their locality. Represented by a score of actors including members of the water management committee, women’s representatives, members of the joint committee cattle breeders-farmers, traditional leaders and civil society members; they cited “the forthcoming elections, the transhumance period when cows in search for pasture devastate crops,” and wondered: “How they were going to cope with the threats on civilians in the absence of MONUSCO?”. MONUSCO delegation replied Government defense and security forces would take over, and have already managed to overcome such situations in the past. MONUSCO delegation further explained that even after withdrawing from Lulimbi, it will continue to intervene in terms of training through its specialized Sections in collaboration with Government officials.

Jean-Tobie Okala & Fiston Ngoma
Photos : MONUSCO/ Fiston Ngoma