Unlikely Missionaries

One of the very obvious things I’ve seen here in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been the huge presence of UN military forces. Every single airport we’ve landed at, from Kinshasa to Gemena to Isiro to Bunia has its UN compound complete with an impressive array of aircraft, helicopters, and armored personnel vehicles.  Thanks to all the rebel activity during the past several years and a totally ineffective national army, UN forces have had plenty to keep busy with in helping maintain national stability.

But what was not so obvious to me is how these UN forces are also functioning as de facto Muslim missionaries. Because the primary country supplying UN troops to the DRC is Pakistan, it has been natural for themto seek ways to promote their personal faith. In locations where they have been stationed for the past couple of years, new mosques are sprouting up along with other Islamic-backed institutions like schools and hospitals funded significantly by these Pakistani UN soldiers. MAF pilot, Dave Jacobsson says that before the UN came to the city of Bunia, a predominantly Christian city in the northeast, public calls to worship from mosque minarets was nonexistent. Now, starting at 4:30 AM and throughout the day, you can hear them loudly broadcast from multiple locations around town.

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On an much darker note, local Congolese are discovering that many of UN troops are engaged in illegal smuggling. Gold and precious metals such as cobalt needed in cell phone manufacture, is regularly being transported over to Uganda or Rwanda in official vehicles normally exempt from the border inspections. Just last week two UN trucks were caught doing just that near the town of Goma causing a minor riot and further infuriating the local population.

I guess just because the official color of the UN military is white doesn’t always mean they’re the “good guys!”