In December, AFP reported that December 31st would mark the close of Kimia II - the U.N.-backed military operation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that has recently come under fire for humanitarian and human rights abuses.  At first, this appears to be a victory for human rights advocates who have documented widespread abuses against civilians by the Congolese military and have called for the end of the offensive against the rebel group FDLR.  However, the end of Kimia II does not mean that troops will be withdrawing from eastern DRC.  Instead, the U.N. peacekeepers and Congolese military will work together under a new directive, which according to U.N. Special Envoy Alan Doss:

"will now concentrate on holding ground recovered from the FDLR and preventing attacks on civilians in areas of vulnerability" while conducting targeted strikes against any command and control centers where the FDLR may have regrouped.

Additionally, on December 23rd, the U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 1906, extending the peacekeepers' mandate until the end of May 2010 and possibly for another 12 months beyond that.  Supporting the Congolese military in their actions against the rebels remains a key part of the peacekeepers' mandate, though the Secretary General will be conducting a strategic review to determine how the peacekeepers' mandate should be adjusted. 

Military measures are far from over in eastern DRC, even if the offensive against the rebels is being drawn down.  Thus it will continue to be imperative for the United Nations to do all it can to prevent, monitor and promote accountability for abuses against civilians by the Congolese military.