This week, UN says peace in DRC still “mostly a promise” despite progress on paper. What’s next for Trump’s Gaza peace plan? What will the trial of South Sudan’s opposition leader mean for peace?
UN Says Peace in DRC Still “Mostly a Promise” Despite Progress on Paper
The head of the UN’s peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) reports a lack of genuine progress on peace in the country. On September 30, Bintou Keita, head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), said that despite peace agreements signed, peace is “still mostly a promise.”
In June, DRC signed a peace agreement with Rwanda, and in July, the DRC government and the M23 rebel group signed a declaration of principle. In February, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 2773 calling for an immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities.
However, since June, MONUSCO has recorded around 1,087 civilians killed during violence in Ituri and North Kivu. Keita said, “and this toll is growing day by day.”
It’s not just M23 anymore. Other armed groups are also committing violence in DRC, including the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), linked to the ISIL terrorist group in the region. The group has killed some 300 civilians in North Kivu and Ituri in recent months, the UN reported.
In areas under M23 control, Keita said, MONUSCO has a difficult time carrying out its duties. “Fuel and food supplies are delayed. Many troop rotations are still blocked. Exhausted contingents remain in place for several months. Electricity and water cuts cripple bases and life-support systems. Goma airport is still closed,” she said.
What’s Next for Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan?
After US President Donald Trump last week presented a peace plan on Gaza to Arab leaders, Trump said on September 30 that he was giving Hamas “about three to four days” to respond to the plan. He added that Hamas would face severe consequences if the group rejected the proposal.
The 20-point plan lists steps to Israeli forces’ withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the strip’s future leadership. One point proposes an International Stabilization Force (ISF) deployed in Gaza. One of its tasks would be to work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces.
Some commentators have criticized the plan for not specifying which countries would participate in the ISF. They have also criticized that the plan doesn’t mention the West Bank, where violence between settlers and Palestinians has continued to severely worsen. Israel in August approved a plan to build a settlement that would effectively divide the West Bank in two.
On October 2, The Guardian reported that, according to analysts and sources close to Hamas, Hamas would demand key revisions of the proposal, but would likely accept the proposal in the coming days. One sticking point, they said, is the demand that Hamas disarm.
What Will the Trial of South Sudan’s Opposition Leader Mean for Peace?
A special court in South Sudan has been set up to try opposition leader Riek Machar. The court was set to sit on October 1 to start receiving evidence from the prosecution. Machar and seven other individuals are charged with murder, treason and crimes against humanity. Machar has dismissed the charges as a “witch hunt.”
After the country experienced a civil war in 2013 which killed over 400,000 people, South Sudan’s fragile peace has been deteriorating this year, despite a peace agreement signed in 2018. Amnesty International on May 28 reported that violence had killed 180 people between March and mid-April amid deepening divisions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar. On September 21, at least 48 people were killed and over 152 injured in fighting between South Sudan’s army and opposition forces in Burebiey.
As tensions and clashes continue, it remains to be seen what the trial will mean for peace, and how it will impact civilians.
Keywords: DRC, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gaza, Israel, Palestine, South Sudan, Opposition, peace, conflict, conflict resolution
Tara Abhasakun
Tara Abhasakun is Peace News Network (PNN)'s managing editor. She is journalist based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and formerly in Bangkok, Thailand. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
