Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
776. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of United Nations peacekeeping mission Operation MONUSCO; Ireland’s involvement in the mission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44194/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraUN peacekeeping Operation MONUSCO is mandated to, among other things, protect civilians, humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence and to support the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo in its stabilisation and peace consolidation efforts. As of November 2021, the mission’s personnel consisted of 17,783 personnel.
Demonstrations in Goma at the end of July endangered MONUSCO peacekeepers and UN assets and have further destabilised an already fragile region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. I am extremely concerned about the situation on the ground and how this will impact MONUSCO’s protection of civilians’ efforts and the mission’s transition.
In August, following the receipt of military advice, I took the decision to withdraw our Defence Forces personnel from MONUSCO. Our deployment to MONUSCO was small, comprising only three officers, and the civil unrest in Goma raised the risk to their security in a way that was unsustainable.
While we have no immediate plans to deploy replacements, the Department of Defence, in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs, continues to monitor closely the developments in DRC with a view to revisiting the matter in the coming months. Ireland remains a strong supporter of the United Nations, MONUSCO and its engagement in the DRC.
