United Nations Policy on the Democratic Republic of the CongoJose FuentesProfessor MariamPSCI-301California State University, San BernardinoIntroduction: The United Nations (UN ) was created at the end of World War II, to promote cooperation between nations. The UN replaced the failing and ineffective League of Nations; its goal was to prevent future conflicts. Early on, the Cold War was the main international topic, so the United Nations devoted most of its attention to preventing the United States and the Soviet Union from entering a major war. In the aftermath of the Cold War, many countries gained independence, while African states were undergoing decolonization and there was hostility between ethnic populations. The UN has participated in around sixty peace operations around the world since its creation. Two of the peace missions were launched in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The United Nations Organization in Congo (ONUC) during the Cold War and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) in the early 2000s are still ongoing. The Democratic Republic of Congo has been experiencing violence and instability throughout its young history due to political and ethnic differences. Unrest has been plaguing the DRC for years, so the UN is stepping in to try to establish peace and stability in a region that has seen violence over the years. After two long wars over the past decade, the United Nations reports that approximately 3.8 million deaths have been caused by wars, with an additional 1,000 deaths per day directly related to domestic conflicts. Many more have been displaced, and others have sought... middle of paper ......as their role is more about controlling the violence rather than stopping it. They have no offensive strategy and only attack in self-defense. It was not until 2013 that the UN approved some form of offensive strategy to combat rebels in the DRC. Initial reports showed that progress has been made in disarming the M23 rebels. The UN must become more offensive and take the fight to the rebels. The UN must start using drones to weaken rebel leaders. Some fear that a more offensive approach would, for example, endanger more human lives, which would cause countries to hesitate to provide troops. However, there are greater benefits to ending violence with aggressive force, rather than prolonging it even further. Peacekeepers were not enough to stop or even redirect the violence in the DRC, more must be done.