DRC: MONUSCO gradually withdraws; peacekeepers leave South Kivu
According to the withdrawal plan requested by Kinshasa, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has definitively ceased its operations in the South Kivu province (eastern DRC) since this Tuesday, April 30th, according to a statement available on the official UN mission’s website.
« At the request of the Congolese Government, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) decided on the withdrawal of MONUSCO forces from South Kivu before the end of April 2024 in its resolution 2717 (December 2023). This limits the implementation of the Mission’s mandate to the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri starting May 1, 2024 », MONUSCO announced.
In its statement, the peacekeeping mission adds that it « began reducing its operations in South Kivu in January 2024 and, as of May 1, 2024, the Mission’s mandate, including its responsibility to protect civilians, ends in this province ».
« Only the necessary uniformed personnel to ensure the security of UN personnel, installations, convoys, and equipment will be maintained until the completion of withdrawal activities », it clarified.
It should be noted that despite the worsening security situation in the region, MONUSCO’s withdrawal was decided in December by the Security Council, envisioning a three-phase process, the first of which concerns South Kivu. The withdrawal from this province was set for April 30th, with no deadline for the rest of the process. Before the disengagement began, MONUSCO had around 15,000 peacekeepers in the DRC.
« The responsibility for security and physical protection of civilians now rests with the DRC’s defense and security forces, which will continue to assume this responsibility in close coordination with communities and local authorities. According to the disengagement plan, alongside the withdrawal of UN troops, the government is strengthening its presence in the areas that the Mission is leaving », said Bintou Keita, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of MONUSCO.
