The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has officially closed one of its key bases as part of its preparations to depart from the Central African nation this year, as requested by the government.
Known as MONUSCO, the mission bid farewell to a significant base near Bukavu in a ceremony attended by Bintou Keita, the head of MONUSCO, alongside DRC military and government officials.
This base, along with others set to shut down by the year’s end, will be handed over to the military.
During a briefing at the UN headquarters in New York, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric announced the departure of Pakistani peacekeepers, who have been serving in South Kivu province for over two decades.
Since their deployment in 2003, over 100,000 Pakistani peacekeepers have served in South Kivu, with 31 soldiers sacrificing their lives in the line of duty for the UN and the people of the Congo.
The decision to withdraw comes after the Congolese government, re-elected in a controversial vote, criticized the mission for failing to protect civilians from armed groups.
Various armed groups, including the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, continue to pose a threat in the volatile eastern regions of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri provinces, leading to violence and displacement of millions of civilians.
Approximately 2,000 UN soldiers are set to depart from South Kivu by the end of April, reducing MONUSCO’s strength to 11,500 peacekeepers, as per the government’s plan.
DRC security forces will take control of fourteen UN bases, paving the way for a gradual withdrawal of UN forces from North Kivu and Ituri.
Having succeeded an earlier UN operation in 2010, MONUSCO has been actively involved in the DRC for over 13 years.
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