But the UN's leading figures in Congo say that without MONUC's oversight it would behave even worse.
Moreover, say MONUC's commanders, senior Congolese army officers do sometimes punish those of its soldiers who behave badly.
The governments of Congo and Rwanda, backed by MONUC, agreed to squash, curb or harass the FDLR into irrelevance.
Senior MONUC officers note that hundreds of FDLR fighters have turned themselves in.
The immediate question is whether the UN peacekeeping force, MONUC, can defend Goma should Mr Nkunda decide to attack.
MONUC's head, Alan Doss, has asked for a temporary deployment of 2, 000 more police and special-forces soldiers to shore up his defences.
So MONUC gives the Congo army food rations, fuel and air support.
Two operations this year, launched first by Rwandan and Congolese forces and then by MONUC alongside the Congolese army, have squeezed the FDLR's room for manoeuvre.
"We are looking into the most effective and fastest way of helping MONUC, " he said, using the French acronym for the U.N. mission in Congo.
But MONUC's commander, General Babacar Gaye, is loth to suspend other brigades, arguing that MONUC can do a better job by serving as a mentor to deter bad behaviour.
Laurent Nkunda, who leads troops of the National Congress for the Defense of the People, told CNN in a phone interview he wants to start working Friday with the U.N. mission in Congo, known by its French acronym MONUC, to allow people back to their homes.
ECONOMIST: International peacekeepers are still sorely needed
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