UN Security Council Decides on Rapid Troop Withdrawal
The UN Security Council has decided on the rapid withdrawal of peacekeeping troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo – despite ongoing violence in the eastern part of the country. The government in Kinshasa has been calling for the withdrawal to be accelerated for months.
The UN Security Council has voted for an accelerated withdrawal of the peacekeeping mission MONUSCO from the Democratic Republic of Congo. It adopted a resolution that extends the mandate for the peace mission by one year, but also provides for the withdrawal of the first blue helmets later this year.
Despite decades of ongoing violence in the eastern part of the country, the government in Kinshasa has been demanding an accelerated withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping troops since the end of this year instead of the originally planned end of 2024. It accuses the UN soldiers of not effectively protecting the population from the armed gangs and militias active in the region.
UN missions only with the consent of the host countries
Several members of the UN Security Council, including the United States, expressed doubts that the Congolese army could replace the peacekeeping force in protecting the population. However, UN missions can only operate with the consent of the respective host countries, so the Security Council has now conceded.
Starting from the end of the year, UN troops will now be withdrawn in a first phase until the end of April from the South Kivu province. From May 2024, the peacekeeping troops will only be stationed in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces. The further withdrawal will depend on an evaluation report of the first phase.
Peace mission since 1999
The MONUSCO mission has been present in the Central African country since 1999. The task of the UN peacekeeping troops was not an easy one because the second largest country in Africa is particularly marked by long-standing conflicts in the east, especially in the Kivu provinces. More than 100 armed groups have been operating in the region for over 20 years in a resource-rich area where, among other things, coltan is mined, which is used in the production of mobile phones, laptops, and electric cars.
The peacekeeping troops have not been able to curb the extent of sexual violence in the conflict region. In the Congo, which is as large as Western Europe, the number of internally displaced persons was estimated at 6.3 million at the end of October. In recent weeks, the M23 militia in particular has driven hundreds of thousands of people to flee with new attacks in the North Kivu province. The government in Kinshasa accuses neighboring country Rwanda of supporting the M23.
Presidential elections will take place in the Congo on Wednesday. More than 20 candidates, including the current president Félix Tshisekedi, are running for office. Businessman Moïse Katumbi and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege are also running. The last elections in the Central African country were held in December 2018.