Notes for THE PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN CONFLICT ZONES seminar

Notes from a 2009 seminar featuring Anneke Van Woudenberg regarding the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the failure of military operations against rebel groups, and recommendations for the protection of civilians in conflict zones.

• Following the 2006 elections, the DRC government demonstrated an inability to maintain political and military control over the eastern DRC, leading to the rise of the Tutsi CNDP (National Congress for the Defence of the People), a rebel group led by Laurent Nkunda and viewed as a Rwandan proxy. While UN forces prevented the CNDP from capturing Goma in late 2008, the DRC government eventually sought assistance from Rwanda, agreeing to allow Rwandan action against the Hutu FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) in exchange for help against the CNDP. Both subsequent military operations are regarded as failures, with FDLR counter-attacks resulting in the displacement of nearly 100,000 people and the DRC government forces being identified as major perpetrators of human rights abuses in the eastern DRC.
• To improve the protection of civilians in conflict zones, the seminar suggests demanding compliance with the Geneva conventions and international law through sanctions, ensuring accurate reporting of human rights violations, and maintaining accountability for all parties. Furthermore, peacekeeping forces require not only a strong mandate but the practical means to enforce it, including rapid response capabilities, sufficient firepower, transport helicopters, and good intelligence.
• The document highlights severe humanitarian and operational failures in the DRC, noting that 60% of recorded rape cases in the eastern DRC involve children under 18, both male and female. Additionally, UN military response is hindered by a slow bureaucracy, such as the requirement to complete forms before receiving permission to use helicopters, indicating that MONUC requires a better framework to succeed in its mission.

APA

Van Woudenberg, A. (2009). Notes for THE PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN CONFLICT ZONES seminar. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/30SEP09NOTES.PDF

Chicago

Van Woudenberg, Anneke. Notes for THE PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN CONFLICT ZONES seminar. Institute for Security Studies, 2009. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/30SEP09NOTES.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Van Woudenberg |first1=Anneke |title=Notes for THE PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN CONFLICT ZONES seminar |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=30 September 2009 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/30SEP09NOTES.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vanwoudenberg2009notes, author = {Van Woudenberg, Anneke}, title = {{Notes for THE PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN CONFLICT ZONES seminar}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = sep, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/30SEP09NOTES.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }