3. Perceptions of peace support operations This section examines the population’s perception of the various peace support missions in the DRC. This analysis will focus primarily on MONUSCO, although the conclusions remain relevant to other missions present in the DRC. After more than 25 years of presence in the DRC, MONUSCO’s effectiveness is being called into question given the renewed war and persistent instability in the east. The question of MONUSCO’s mandate and(more importantly) the Congolese public’s expectations are at the heart of a revitalized debate as the security situation deteriorates. The perception of peace support missions in the DRC is centered on civilian protection. While appearing simple, implementation is subject to numerous debates. Is it protection best provided by presence or the projection of forces? Should an offensive mandate be implemented, or is mission better limited to supporting the host country’s government, which has primary responsibility for ensuring the protection of its population? Should action be taken in strict compliance with the fundamental principles of peacekeeping— namely, the consent of the parties, impartiality and non-use of force except in self-defence or in defence of the mandate? In a context of aggression, how can impartiality be interpreted? Who is accountable to the population in the event of a failure to protect? This criticism is not unique to the Congo. Other peacekeeping missions in Africa frequently have tense relations with civilian populations and host governments. In Mali, the government called for the immediate withdrawal of the mission. The adoption in 2013 of Resolution 2098, creating the Intervention Brigade under the command of MONUSCO tasked with neutralising armed groups, raised new expectations among the population regarding the capabilities of a peacekeeping mission. The resumption of fighting with the M23 illustrates the limitations of this mandate. First, this section describes the efforts made by MONUSCO to protect civilians. It then analyses the factors that explain why, despite these efforts, the perception of MONUSCO remains negative where it is most present. It also addresses other factors that influence the perception of peace support missions. These include the extensive and highly visible resources that missions mobilise, their duration, the issue of the use of force, and the risks of political exploitation by national actors. Finally, it discusses the role of regional forces as alternatives to MONUSCO. Challenges in protecting civilians: considerable but insufficient efforts by MONUSCO This report shows that the Congolese public’s expectations of protection strongly influenced the perception of the performance of MONUSCO(and other forces). The former mayor of Beni stated this clearly on 14 December 2024: MONUSCO’s mission has failed, even though it is doing great work in terms of social issues and support to the administration, in particular through the provision of fuel, infrastructure, training to strengthen the capacities of officials, and many other things that I cannot mention now. But as long as there are still bodies of people killed before its eyes, as long as threats to life are still a living reality, as long as the country is still under attack, and as long as there are hundreds of armed groups, then it will have failed. And only it knows why. But, in my opintion, it is because it is not active enough. It does not intervene when it is needed, even though it has modern weapons. It is still waiting for orders from somewhere to strike the enemy. In short, it is a mission that does not help in terms of security. The protection of civilians is central to the mission’s mandate and to the Congolese population’s perception of it. In various resolutions since 2010, the UN established a hierarchy of priorities for MONUSCO’s mandate, with the protection of civilians at the top of the list. Those interviewed largely understood the protection of civilians to mean actions taken by MONUSCO to prevent attacks against civilians. Informants differed in their definition of“action” as referring to deterrence or if it must include offensive action. When we talk about protecting civilians, it implies tracking down armed groups that may threaten the security of the civilian population. Several informants recognized the deterrent effect of MONUSCO bases. In North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri, many people cite the UN mission bases as places of refuge: In the event of an attack, for example, or fear of an attack, the population’s reflex has always been to gather where there are MONUSCO bases. The illusion of protection. Peace support missions in the DRC 13