Over the weekend, the region received rather comic news that MONUSCO and the FARDC/FDLR had reached an agreement to conduct a joint offensive against the M23 revolutionary army, ostensibly to prevent the latter from capturing the city of Goma through an operation codenamed ‘springbok’.
MONUSCO Made a U-turn on her earlier decision to appease the regime with the hope of having its stay in the mineral-rich state extended. First and foremost, this was shocking news to the region because everyone expected MONUSCO to be busy packing for departure before the end of the year, in compliance with the departure order by their host, the Kinshasa regime.
Tshisekedi and senior members of his ruling clique have publicly condemned the UN peacekeeping mission for failing to enforce peace in Congo for the past two decades of their presence in eastern Congo.
However, there is not a shred of doubt that the sudden eruption of romantic energy between the Kinshasa regime and MONUSCO aims at diverting global attention. This unexpected convergence of these two parties can only be explained by one causal factor – and that is failure.
Tshisekedi has failed to deliver on his promises to the nation concerning “wiping the M23 Movement from eastern Congo” despite billions of dollars spent on hiring mercenaries and FDLR as well as buying the loyalty of murderous armed groups.
MONUSCO on the other hand, has miserably failed to deliver as per its mandate despite being billed as the biggest peacekeeping mission ever and consuming billions of dollars during the more than two decades they have spent in eastern DRC.
Therefore, let the world not raise their hopes and expectations about this new announcement of cooperation between these two entities whose credentials are synonymous with failure. It’s all meant as a distraction from their shameful performances.