The end of the Second World Wave triggered the process of the colonies’ withdrawal from the power of their metropolises. The Republic of the Congo was no exception and gained independence from Belgium in 1960. This event triggered a wave of chaos and unrest on the territory of the African State. Under the flag of protecting its citizens, Belgium again invaded the part of the republic, which forced the government of the Congo to seek help from the UN.
The UN responded to the call for help and sent its peacekeeping battalions, which consisted of hired soldiers worldwide. They achieved the primary goal of withdrawing Belgian troops but continued to continue fighting with local soldiers. This event was held, of course, under the flag of peace and security, justice and order. The deployment of subsequent hostilities led to an increase in the number of countries participating in the UN campaign. These were not only troops from Africa or Asia but also from Europe, and we should not forget the help of the USSR.
Subsequently, in 1964, the UN still withdrew all its units from the territory of the Congo. ONUC became the first UN peacekeeping mission to use force as a means of implementing Security Council decisions (Gisela, 2020). It was also the first mission to enforce the no-fly zone and the arms embargo. As of 2021, it remains the most reliable UN operation in scale, scope, and use of force.
It may seem that these actions were correct and justified, but contrary to the concept of democracy and liberalism, which aim to eliminate wars. The UN is the same commercial organization with external funding, which means that someone needed the fighting. It does not matter whether it is a war for domination or peace; it still leads to human casualties. Public organizations should show force through mediation in negotiations for the peaceful settlement of a military conflict and not send peacekeeping forces to kill people. In the following years, the Congolese themselves began to view ONUC as an undesirable foreign interference in the affairs of their country.
Reference
Gisela, H. (2020). Cooperating with evil? Accountability in peace operations and the evolution of the United Nations Human Rights Due Diligence Policy. Cooperation and conflict, 55(1), 1-19.