AfricaBlog: More Trouble in DRC Archives

January 26, 2004

More Trouble in DRC

A story like this might make one wonder precisely how effective the international forces are being in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. That isn't a sarcastic comment, more an honest question of both effectiveness and the capacity to be effective.

At least 150 people were massacred by militiamen near a lake in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday after disembarking from their boats, a Ugandan official claimed on Saturday.

Lendu tribal militia forced nearly 180 people out of five boats on Lake Albert, ordered them to "accompany" them to the bushes, shot most of them dead and then kidnapped the women to take as "wives", Deputy Director of Uganda's External Security Organisation (ESO) Colonel Peter Kerim said.
[...]
Ethnic massacres heightened soon after the withdrawal of Ugandan troops from the north east DRC region of Ituri in April last year and a French-led international force moved in to stem the killings which had left hundreds dead.

An incident like this, if proven true, calls for a more active and aggressive peace keeping force.

Read the rest of the story.

Posted by zombyboy at January 26, 2004 12:08 PM

Comments

Well, there's only like 10,000 troops for a country the size of western Europe.

Posted by: Brian at January 27, 2004 10:46 AM

Sounds like they were better off with Ugandan troops controlling the area. In the old days when a state failed it's neighbors would divy up the territory and be done with it. Bloody process but is putting of the process for a couple of decades by preserving the DRC any better?

Posted by: stan at February 4, 2004 10:21 AM