KINSHASA: As part of the peacekeeping force’s planned withdrawal from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 2,000 U.N. troops are expected to leave the nation by the end of April, according to a statement made on Saturday by the mission chief.
Felix Tshisekedi, the president of the Congo, requested in September that the peacekeepers’ exit be expedited, and the U.N. Security Council granted his request, allowing the deployment to end in December.
The 13,500-strong mission, known as MONUSCO, replaced a previous U.N. operation in 2010 to aid in reducing insecurity in the country of Central Africa’s east, where armed factions battle for resources and territory.
However, its presence has grown more and more unpopular in recent years due to criticism that it hasn’t done enough to shield civilians from militia groups, which has led to violent protests.
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“At a joint press conference with government officials, we will reach 11,500 troops as of April 30th, with the start of the withdrawal underway,” stated mission chief Bintou Keita. “We have a ceiling of 13,500 troops authorised by the Security Council.”
She added that there are 14 U.N. sites in South Kivu province, and that the first of three pullout phases will start there.
In the following stages, U.N. peacekeeping forces will leave the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu.
At a news conference in Kinshasa, the capital, Congo’s Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula stated that the remaining United Nations personnel are anticipated to leave the nation by December 31.
“The withdrawal of MONUSCO does not necessarily mean the end of the fight we are undertaking to protect the territorial interests of our country, we must continue to struggle,” Lutundula stated.
Conflicts in the Congo have resulted in the displacement of almost 7 million people, primarily in the three eastern provinces where numerous armed groups are still active.
