Goma, 14 June 2011 – Since the launching of Operation "Restore Hope" on 2 June in the Nord Kivu territory of Rutshuru, Peacekeepers deployed in that area have conducted dozens of patrols.

The operation, which is conducted by the Force of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), involves a wide search for armed elements both along the main roads and around key villages in the territory. They have been combing Nyamilima, Kiwanja, Bunagama and Rugari where armed groups had been preying for a couple of months.

Operation "Restore Hope" came as a response to the growing insecurity in these villages. Its objective is to restore confidence among the local population by creating security conditions around the area.

MONUSCO's contingents have been conducting 24 hour foot and vehicle patrols which, as Major Yogesh Bisht of Nyamilima Company put is, "have made a difference in the lives of the villagers," citing the example of Makoko, where villagers found it difficult to sleep at night due to frequent attacks by armed groups at night.

Through its military actions, MONUSCO has been able to gradually restore peace and a sense of normality in this territory. Prior to the operation, the population complained that their misfortune started when troops of the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) left the area to join their training center a distance away. Their departure left a vacuum, which the militia took advantage of by raiding villages, killing, and looting.

Today, villagers feel an immense sense of relief. "We feel immensely relieved when we hear the sound of UN tanks patrolling around us at night," declared a local administrative authority. "We hope that UN peacekeepers will continue their patrols until the return of the FARDC," head added.

Clara Padovan/Bernadin Nyangi/ MONUSCO