Description: The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and Head of the MONUSCO (UN Organization and Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Bintou Keita, briefed the UN Security Council on the latest developments in the humanitarian and security crisis in the country. She stated that despite relentless peace efforts made by the US, Qatar and several African nations, peace remains and elusive prospect for the country which has been ravaged by violence, disease and displacement. Keita stated that various militant organizations in the country continue to endanger any potential peace agreement by instigating violence, grabbing territory and establishing their own administrative governments. She mentioned the ISIS – affiliated Allied Democratic Forces as well as the Convention for Popular Revolution militia, and intensified attacks by the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) militants. The country is also struggling with mounting humanitarian crisis and intensified Ebola outbreak, while the UN humanitarian mission is struggling to finance their operations due to budget cuts from major donors, such as the US.
Impact: The latest briefing by the Special Representative only shows the state of decadence in the DRC in light of lack of instruments and the ineffectiveness of international organizations such as the UN. Major obstacles towards achieving something that would resemble a peace or a ceasefire mechanism persist, such as funding of the humanitarian and security operations and the high level of presence from terrorist and militant groups which are continuously compromising the prospects of peace. The proposals mediated by Qatar and the US comprised of economic incentives still lack comprehensive security measures and integration mechanisms of more than a 100 militant groups still active in the country. These groups are generally divided by ethnicity and engaged in a perpetual state of warfare of swathes of land rich in natural resources. The security and humanitarian situation would continue to devolve unless a broader diplomatic campaign accompanied by constructive and practical measures does not follow the peace proposals campaigned by the US and Qatar.