DRC: President Felix Tshisékédi Calls once again for the «Accelerated» Withdrawal of Peacekeepers and Demand Sanctions Against Those Responsible for War Crimes
The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Félix Tshisékédi, made a bold statement at the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) on September 20, 2023. He expressed his urgent request to see the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) and the peacekeepers leave the Congolese territory quickly.
Indeed, President Felix Tshisékédi not only called for the urgent withdrawal of MINUSCO and the peacekeepers to leave the Congolese soil. But he also called on the UN Security Council to take action to punish those responsible for war crimes in the DRC.
He particularly pointed the finger at the M23 rebels, accused of sowing death in the province of North Kivu. This request for sanctions illustrates the Congolese president’s determination to end impunity for war criminals and restore stability in the region.
However, President Tshisékédi’s most striking request concerns the immediate withdrawal of MONUSCO, a UN mission that has been operating in the DRC for nearly twenty-five years. The Congolese President expressed concern about the effectiveness of this mission and its ability to cope with the rebellions and armed conflicts that are tearing apart his country and the Great Lakes region.
In addition, he stressed that MONUSCO has failed to protect civilian populations as it should have. President Tshisékédi’s calls for a rapid withdrawal from MONUSCO come in a context marked by demonstrations and attacks against the presence of peacekeepers in the country.
The entire African youth, aspires to a real and absolute sovereignty and therefore, perceives the prolonged presence of the forces of so-called peacekeeping of the UN and by how French and American, as a mark of the colonial past. Above all, the presence of these forces, despite their powers, does not bring any positivity to the security crisis but on the contrary.These demonstrations reflect the desire for true sovereignty and control of the future of the DRC by its own government.
President Tshisékédi’s statement highlights the challenges facing the DRC in its quest for stability and development. As MONUSCO prepares to reduce its presence in the DRC in accordance with the wishes of the Congolese people and government, an era of peace, prosperity and authentic sovereignty is more than heard.
