UN Peacekeeping Force to Begin Withdrawal from Congo

The decision comes as the conflict-ridden country prepares for presidential elections, amid calls for the establishment of professional and accountable security forces.

• The UN Security Council has unanimously voted to begin the withdrawal of its peacekeeping force, MONUSCO, from Congo by the end of the year.
• Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, who is running for re-election, has called for an accelerated withdrawal of the 15,000 peacekeepers.
• The withdrawal is set to begin in South Kivu in eastern Congo, a region overrun by armed groups seeking a share of the region’s resources.
• The Congolese government has directed an 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'.
• The Security Council's resolution also calls for the Congolese government to establish professional, accountable and sustainable security forces that respect international humanitarian law and human rights law.

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