KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF), through its Joint Forces Headquarters, will continue to monitor the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and take necessary measures to ensure the safety of its personnel amid the ongoing conflict.
The Joint Forces Headquarters said eight Malaysian personnel comprising military staff officers and military observers deployed under the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) are currently safe.
“They are stationed at the MONUSCO Force Headquarters, the Lava Site in Goma, and the Team Site, with all Malaysian personnel reported to be in good health and the overall situation under control.
“The M23 rebels have taken full control of Goma, including Goma Airport, which houses the MONUSCO Force Headquarters, posing a security threat to UN peacekeeping forces and triggering violent protests in Kinshasa,” it said in a statement today.
The statement added that the situation has slightly stabilised since Feb 2, and the M23 rebels declared a unilateral ceasefire on Feb 4 for humanitarian reasons.
It urged the UN and the international community to reassess their strategy on MONUSCO and intensify diplomatic efforts to achieve a lasting resolution.
The conflict is rooted in mineral resource exploitation, ethnic tensions, government instability and external interference. The M23 claims their fight is driven by political and ethnic Tutsi security interests, with Rwanda’s involvement further escalating tensions.
MONUSCO was established on July 1, 2010, to replace the United Nations Mission in the Congo (MONUC), which operated since 1999. Its mandate is to stabilise the situation in DRC following prolonged conflict, protect civilians, support political processes and assist in national reconstruction efforts.
With a stronger mandate, MONUSCO is equipped with a special intervention force to counter armed groups and personnel rotations are conducted annually based on designated postings.
