Overview
- The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), known as MONUSCO, will withdraw all its forces from the country by the end of 2024.
- The withdrawal will occur in three phases, beginning with the departure of about 2,000 UN troops from South Kivu by the end of April.
- Fourteen UN bases in South Kivu will be taken over by Congolese security forces as part of the withdrawal process.
- The Congolese government, recently re-elected in a disputed vote, called for the UN mission to leave, citing its failure to protect civilians from armed groups.
- Despite the withdrawal, the Congolese Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula emphasized that the fight to protect the country's territorial interests will continue.