Mission in Central Africa—MONUC/MONUSCO

Abstract

The First Congo War began in 1996 when the Tutsi-government of Rwanda began to arm a Congolese Tutsi-group in eastern Zaire, currently known as the DR Congo. A war, involving several African states, erupted shortly afterwards. In July 1999, however, the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement was signed by all warring parties. The UN Security Council (UNSC) authorized deployment of some 90 military liaison personnel to assist the implementation of the agreement (UNSC Res 1258/1999). The success of the agreement was short-lived, within months all sides accused the others of repeated breaches of the ceasefire accord. As a consequence, the UNSC extended the observers’ mission until January 2000 (UNSC Res 1273). Before their mandate terminated, it was decided to continue the effort by establishing the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) (UNSC Res 1279/1999). In May 2010 the MONUC was renamed to the UN Stabilization Mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO) (UNSC Res 1925/2010). In this chapter MONUC and its sequel, MONUSCO, missions are explored further.