UN Peacekeeping Mission

(1) Study one UN Peacekeeping mission and explain what they have achieved in preventing and addressing CRSV and what the challenges are.

(2) Explain what the Zero Tolerance Policy of the UN entails when it comes to UN personnel being themselves involved in committing SEA. In addition, to what extent do the rules and regulations on preventing and addressing SEA work in practice?

UN Peacekeeping: Case Scenario (DRC)

Background:

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the largest countries in Africa – roughly the size of Western Europe – and has been plagued by civil war and insecurity for more than a decade. The long conflict has been characterized by the fight over natural resources, the meddling by neighboring countries, and, not least, its toll on the civilian population, including the prevalence of sexual violence.

Since 2000, a multi-dimensional UN peacekeeping operation (now called MONUSCO) has been deployed to DRC, focusing on the eastern and most unstable part of the country. In addition to its civilian leadership and civilian and police components, MONUSCO consists of a close to 20,000-strong military component organized in brigade-size formations, with weaponry ranging from small personal arms to attack helicopters. A large number of utility helicopters are also available. The brigades are deployed in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, Province Orientale and Katanga, including a number of permanent bases (approximately 150 soldiers) as well as mobile operating bases (MOB) of approximately 50 soldiers each.

Eastern DRC is rich in minerals and covered with jungle and patches of grazing land. Foreign-armed groups and local rebels prey on the local population. State authorities have a weak or non-existent presence in many rural areas, and police are poorly trained, equipped and frequently not paid. The Congolese Army (FARDC) includes many ex-combatants from various rebel groups, and is struggling to provide sufficient training, equipment, discipline and leadership. Several commanders have economic ties to external groups, and members of the FARDC are frequently found to be the perpetrators of atrocities committed against the civilian population.

In this context, the rates of rape, killing, and property destruction endured by civilians are far higher than the number of military casualties since the beginning of the conflict since the nineties. In particular, sexual violence directly or indirectly caused by the conflict has become one of the greatest threats to the security of civilians and a clear impediment to peace building and the success of peace operations. This is manifest in the use of sexual violence as a tactic of war against populations, the majority of whom are women and girls in contested territory; as part of widespread or systematic attacks against civilians; as part of patterns of predatory attacks against civilians in and around refugee and internally displaced persons camps; in connection with the illicit exploitation of natural resources; as an incentive for irregularly paid combatants; at checkpoints manned by abusive elements of the national army FARDC; perpetrated by former combatants reinserted into communities through the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) process; and by the ‘normalization’ amongst civilians of brutal forms of violence described as virtually unknown before the conflict, such as gang rapes, public rapes, forced incest and the rape of victims of all ages, from infants to elderly people. Sexual violence is also used as a form of punishment against populations and includes the rape of men and boys. Apart from the physical and mental consequences, a sexual survivor often faces a future of indigence and social exclusion for herself and her children. Most lose their health, livelihoods, husbands, families, and support networks, which in turn shatter the structures that anchor community values.

MONUSCO has a mandate to assist the DRC government in strengthening its military capacity, not least through the training of and jointly planned operations with the FARDC. At the same time, the Mission’s primary task is to ensure the effective protection of civilians under imminent threat of physical violence, including all forms of sexual and gender-based violence and the empowerment of women. Since members of the FARDC are responsible for acts of violence against civilians, MONUSCO often finds itself in a sensitive and politically challenging position, which requires a consistent response and strong leadership.

Exercise:

A UN patrol (30 soldiers) on foot, at last light, encounters a young girl (13 years) who has been raped by four uniformed and armed persons at a nearby checkpoint. She is in a bad state but is able to accurately describe the perpetrators. The checkpoint is only a five minute walk away.

1) What should the patrol commander decide to do?

2) What should the patrol do with the girl?

3) In case the perpetrators are FARDC soldiers, what should the patrol commander do?

4) In case the perpetrators are members of a rebel group, what should the patrol commander do?

5) What actions should the battalion commander take after this incident?

To answer these questions, you can, for instance, make use of: UN Action, Matrix: Early-Warning Indicators of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, 2011.