The UN peacekeeping mission should stay in the DR Congo, otherwise the country would return to uncontrollable chaos. This is the view of the presidential hopeful for the 2011 elections Dr Bent Francis Mboyo.

He said the mission has restored peace and the national army does not have the capacity to sustain it.

“If the UN leaves Congo right now the country would be in a situation that we were before,” the presidential candidate for the Congolese United for Change said from his US-base.

Last weekend the UN humanitarian head John Holmes appealed for the retention of MONUC – the UN forces operating in the country – since their departure as demanded by the government would jeopardize their operations.

"Our preference is for MONUC to stay and for the discussions of withdrawal not to be based on an arbitrary timetable, but on their accomplishment," Holmes said.

"We are worried by the prospect of a rapid or premature withdrawal of MONUC because MONUC is very important for our activities in the sense of providing stability and providing security for humanitarians,” Holmes added.

But the Kabila led administration argued that the national army is in a position to maintain calm in the absence of MONUC.

However, the opposition candidate has described the government’s comment as a blatant lie. Dr Mboyo recalled the role the UN mission played in securing an airport at Mbandaka in the northwest DR Congo from rebel attacks some weeks back.

He added: “There is no army in Congo. If the UN leaves today there would be a big war in the country." 

“I am against rebels and I would not support them in any way. But it is important to note that people are just tired of Kabila's regime of dictatorship. Congolese should understand that the war would not bring us anywhere.”

Dr Mboyo challenged the Kabila government to create an enabling environment for freedom of speech as well as give room to his opponents to campaign anywhere in the country ahead of the 2011 elections.

Source: AfricaNews