DRC initiates UN peacekeeper withdrawal

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has officially commenced the withdrawal of UN peacekeepers, as announced by the foreign minister on Saturday.

Despite ongoing concerns about violence in the eastern region, the DRC government’s call for withdrawal gained approval from the UN Security Council in December, marking the beginning of the end for the MONUSCO mission initiated in 1999.

The decision comes after months of the government urging an accelerated withdrawal, citing dissatisfaction with the UN force’s effectiveness in protecting civilians from armed groups and militias that have plagued the eastern DRC for decades.

Similar sentiments have been echoed by other African nations, including Mali, which also demanded the emergency departure of the UN mission within its borders.

Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula and MONUSCO chief Bintou Keita emphasized their commitment to an “exemplary” withdrawal during a press conference in the capital.

Currently comprising 13,500 soldiers and 2,000 police across the eastern provinces, the UN force’s pullout is set to unfold in three phases, with the first phase targeting South Kivu by the end of April.

Lutundula clarified that the plan is not yet at the stage of seeing soldiers board planes but affirmed that the withdrawal is underway. Keita specified that the first of 14 UN bases in South Kivu will close by February 15, with subsequent handovers to Congolese security forces, beginning with the Kamanyola base on the Burundi border.

While a final date for the complete withdrawal is pending, Lutundula optimistically stated, “Normally on December 31, we will be at the end of the withdrawal process,” expressing the government’s determination to conclude the operation by the end of the year.

However, he emphasized that the departure does not signify “the end of the war,” referring to Kinshasa’s accusation that Rwanda supports the M23 rebel group in North Kivu.

MONUSCO chief Keita highlighted the dire humanitarian situation, citing nearly seven million displaced people, including 5.5 million in the east, urging all armed groups to lay down their weapons for the displaced to safely return home.