UN Peacekeepers to Withdraw from Congo After Over Two Decades

No firm timeline announced for the withdrawal amid ongoing conflict and upcoming presidential elections.

Congo's foreign minister and the head of the United Nations stabilization mission in Congo signed agreements to end the presence of U.N. peacekeepers after more than two decades.
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi has called for an accelerated withdrawal of the 15,000 peacekeepers, but no firm timeline has been announced.
Tshisekedi is seeking another term in the Dec. 20 presidential election, with the conflict in the country's east taking center stage.
Eastern Congo has long been overrun by dozens of armed groups seeking a share of the region’s resources, with some being quietly backed by Congo’s neighbors.
Last month, the Congolese government directed the East African regional force, deployed last year to help end the fighting, to leave the country by December due to a 'lack of satisfactory results on the ground.'