UNSC agrees to early withdrawal of peacekeepers from DRC

The UN Security Council has voted to accede to a demand from the Democratic Republic of Congo and launch a gradual withdrawal of UN peacekeepers starting this month, a year earlier than originally planned.

Tuesday's vote comes despite United Nations concern about violence in the eastern part of the country.

The resolution, which renews the mandate of the peacekeeping mission in DRC for a further year, includes plans for the departure of peacekeepers from South Kivu province by the end of April.

Ravaged by conflict, the vast and impoverished DRC will host high-risk presidential and parliamentary elections on Wednesday, a vote that coincides with the expiry of the annual mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission, known as Monusco.

Despite a volatile domestic situation, the Congolese government has for months been calling for an accelerated withdrawal of UN peacekeepers, from the end of 2023 rather than the end of 2024.

It considers the UN force to be ineffective in protecting civilians from the armed groups and militias that have plagued the eastern DRC for three decades.

The accusation is similar to that made by other African countries, notably Mali, which has demanded the emergency departure of the UN Minusma mission.

DRC forced the council's hand

In recent months, several Council members, notably the United States, have expressed doubts as to whether DRC forces are ready to replace Monusco to ensure the security of the population.

However, as UN missions cannot operate without the authorisation of host countries, the DRC forced the Security Council's hand — though its messaging has been less forceful than Mali's.

"Members of this council will be watching very closely as the DRC government looks to assume full responsibility for the protection of its civilians as Monusco draws down," said United States deputy ambassador to the UN Robert Wood.

The Council decided to "initiate the gradual, responsible and sustainable withdrawal" of the mission, in line with a withdrawal plan agreed in November between Kinshasa and Monusco.

The first phase includes the withdrawal of peacekeepers from South Kivu province by the end of April 2024, beginning "before the end of 2023," according to the resolution seen by AFP ahead of the vote.

Reduced presence

From May 2024, Monusco will be present only in North Kivu and Ituri. And from July 1, its strength will be reduced by some 2,350 personnel from a maximum authorised strength of around 13,800 military and police personnel.

Further withdrawal will be determined on the basis of an evaluation report on the first phase, which the Council expects by the end of June 2024.

A UN peacekeeping force has been present in the country since 1999. For several years, the Security Council has been cautiously disengaging, setting broad parameters for the transfer of responsibilities to Congolese forces, with an aim to begin withdrawing by 2024.

While the head of Monusco, Bintou Keita, recently expressed concern about an increased risk of "direct military confrontation" between the DRC and Rwanda, the resolution also called for "calm and dialogue" between the two neighbours.