The United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has the longest-running POC mandate among UN missions, at two and a half decades. What characterizes MONUSCO efforts to protect civilians, setting it apart from some other contexts, is the militarized approach it has taken. Thus, while the South Sudan case study largely focused on gaps in mission capacity in implementing POC, this case study centers on approach, analyzing the extent to which militarized approaches to protection have helped to consolidate peace. In short, while military operations have achieved some short-term gains, there have been a number of drawbacks, including that they have closed the door on political solutions to the conflict, while undermining the perception of the UN’s impartiality, increasing risk to civilians, and drawing resources from nonmilitary activities. Further, despite resources invested in military solutions, they have not been effective overall in consolidating peace.