The UN Security Council has approved a phased withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping force from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Extending Monusco’s mandate for a year, the council has outlined a three-phase withdrawal plan. Deployed in 2010 to restore security in eastern DR Congo, Monusco addressed conflicts involving various armed groups, resulting in the death and displacement of around seven million civilians.
“The drawdown will commence by the close of 2023 during the election cycle. The force will exit South Kivu by April 2024’s end, and the mandate’s execution will focus on provinces from May 2024,” the UN Security Council stated on Tuesday.
Additionally, the council expressed intentions to significantly reduce the force’s size starting July 1 next year.
DR Congo had earlier urged the council to withdraw the force by year-end, citing its perceived ineffectiveness in quelling violence and safeguarding civilians, despite two decades of presence in the country.
