IN DEPTH
The meeting on June 12 between the Security Council and the Congolese authorities in charge of the reform of the Congolese National Army and Police underlines the urgent need to accelerate the processes of reform in this sector.
There is an assumption the international community will be more involved to finalise the work that should have been completed - Azarias Ruberwa
The UN Security Council delegation, which visited the Democratic Republic of Congo from June 10 to 12, had the opportunity to see the real state of progress in relation to matters of security on the part of the Congolese authorities concerned.
Many politicians were able, round after round, to demonstrate their concerns on the matter, in order to draw the attention of the international community to improve the security situation in the country.
These included Mr. Azarias Ruberwa, the DRC vice president in charge of the Defense and Security Commission, as well as the Ministers of Defense and the Interior, the Major General Head of State, the Auditor General of the army, the coordinator of CONADER, the director of the army re-integration structure, and the head of the Joint Centre for the Coordination of Operations (CCOC).
Vice-President Ruberwa, who jointly chaired and opened the meeting with Mr. William Swing, head of MONUC, expressed his “satisfaction that the international community will be more involved to finalise the work that should have been completed in the transition period.”
He added that the DRC “was three years ago […] operating with six armies and six police units, whereas today we can talk of a unique army and police force.”
Mr. Ruberwa also informed the representatives of the Security Council that the road to a fully professional Congolese Army is still a long way off. For this reason he reiterated his appeal to the international community to increase its aid, in particular from the donor countries to the DRC. In effect, the needs of the country in matters of security are immense, in spite of the significant progress made with voter registration.
The Congolese Police have an advance security plan for the elections
The National Congolese Police (PNC) is the principal body responsible for security during the electoral process. Recently, the Interior Minister made a needs assessment study of the force, and stated it would soon be presented to the DRC’s donor countries.
The police census presently underway found that the PNC consists of more than the estimated 114,000 current staff. The objective as defined by the High Defense Council is 70,000 police officers. As part of this objective, a joint demobilization with CONADER will follow for some 33,000 staff.
The overhaul of the Army, an essential element for overall peace
Concerning the reform of the FARDC, which is an essential element for peace in the country, the total estimate of soldiers has changed from 340,000 to about 100,000 reformed soldiers, in 12 integrated brigades. It is important to note that the official census is still ongoing.
The salary of the soldiers, which has been increased to improve their living standards, has risen from 10 to 23 US dollars per month. The overall objective is to reach a salary of 50 US dollars per soldier, with close to 150,000 reformed soldiers in 18 brigades.
The Major General of State and the Auditor General of the army are looking to improve other aspects of the force, so that the young national army can progressively allow the Congolese state to assert its authority over the whole country.
In order to accelerate the processes of demobilisation and reintegration, the restoration of the credibility of the FADRC, should also, according to the Major General and Auditor General, pass through two phases:
- Practical discipline enhancing measures, in particular the re-training of soldiers in the brassage* centres.
- An enhancing of the operational capacities of the army, with regard to the soldiers, equipment, and financing, which will provide money for salaries and training.
Overall, the international community should pay particular attention to the reports of the FARDC military justice system, which reported crimes committed by the FARDC in 2005, which were subsequently reported by MONUC in September of the same year.
One of the most sensitive and pressing problems for the justice system to resolve is that the new Congolese army should no longer be preying on their own population, but should be an effective force to protect them.
All the foreign actors involved in the DRC - the Security Council delegation, the representatives of the diplomatic corps present in the DRC, those of USAID, UNDP, the European Union and EUSEC – took note of the needs of the justice department. In turn, they themselves solicited the Congolese authorities for more transparency in the management of the county’s public accounts, and in the work of the joint Commission for the Reform of the Security Sector (RSS).
----------
* “Brassage” consists of the training and the reintegration of former combatants from different regions into one new national army unit.