UN peacekeepers launch pull out from eastern DR Congo

Summary:

• The United Nations is initiating the withdrawal of MONUSCO peacekeeping forces from the Democratic Republic of Congo, beginning with the handover of a UN base to national police. Despite UN concerns about violence, DR Congo demanded the withdrawal, viewing the UN force as ineffective.

The United Nations is expected to kick off the withdrawal of MONUSCO peacekeeping forces from the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday.  The first step in the process is the handing over of a UN base to national police.

The DR Congo demanded the withdrawal despite UN concerns about rampant violence in the east of the country.

Kinshasa considers the UN force to be ineffective in protecting civilians from the armed groups and militias that have plagued the east of the vast country for three decades.

The UN Security Council voted in December to accede to Kinshasa’s demand for a gradual pullout. MONUSCO first arrived in the DR Congo in 1999.

The UN force currently fields around 13,500 soldiers and 2,000 police across the three eastern provinces of Ituri, South Kivu, and North Kivu.

The pullout will take place in three phases with completion depending on regular assessments.

Phase one will see the departure of military peacekeepers from South Kivu by the end of April and civilian staff by June 30.

Before May, the UN force is to leave its 14 bases in the province and hand them over to DRC security forces.