On Tuesday, the UN Security Council overwhelmingly approved a resolution to begin the process of withdrawing from its peacekeeping assignment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
All 15 members of the UN voted in favour of the resolution, according to a post made by the news agency on the social media site X.
Felix Tshisekedi, the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, stated in September at the United Nations General Assembly that he had asked his government to expedite the peacekeeping mission’s withdrawal so that it could start by the end of the year.
The MONUSCO mission succeeded an earlier UN operation in 2010 to help reduce insecurity in the eastern region of the country of Central Africa, where armed groups engage in conflicts over resources and territory.
However, because of what some claim is its inability to defend civilians from militia groups, its presence has grown more and more unpopular, leading to violent protests.
A resolution outlining MONUSCO’s “responsible and sustainable” withdrawal in three stages over the course of 2024 was approved by the UN Security Council on Tuesday. As per the resolution, the plan needs to be implemented with a “simultaneous strengthening of the state’s capabilities and authority”, which includes the deployment of security forces to prevent any gaps in security.
It stated that, contingent on the government’s advancement towards the standards outlined in the disengagement plan, it would be prepared to consider taking additional withdrawal measures at the conclusion of the first phase.
