By Brian Okoth
The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has initiated the withdrawal of its mission in the country.
The head of MONUSCO, Bintou Keita, said on Monday during a press conference in DRC capital Kinshasa that the peacekeeping mission’s exit comes after the “achievement of the minimum conditions of the transition plan”.
Keita said she wasn’t sure how soon MONUSCO will leave DRC, but suggested it could happen from August. “Towards the end of July, at the request of the Secretary-General of the UN [Antonio Guterres], we will send a report which will make it possible to give a new configuration of the mission in DRC,” she said.
The MONUSCO boss said she hopes that “once we are gone, we won’t have to come back”.
“That’s because we hope the authority of the state [on national security] will have been completely restored,” said Keita.
She added: “The start of MONUSCO’s exit from DRC is already engaged, but we need a dignified and peaceful withdrawal. You don't undo a mission in a day."
Longstanding conflict
The DRC has faced longstanding conflict, especially in eastern parts of the country where rebel groups, including the M23 insurgents, have seized control.
Unlawful killings, rape and other apparent war crimes have been witnessed in the region that hasn’t experienced peace for ages.
MONUSCO denied allegations by certain quarters that it was sympathetic to the M23 rebels.
“We have already been attacked by this group. I don't understand why you think that we have an exchange framework with them. We are not allied with the M23,” said Keita.
‘ADF expanding’
The UN envoy further said that another insurgent group, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which was recently blamed for attacking a secondary school in western Uganda and killing more than 37 people, receives funding that “passes through other countries”.
Keita said ADF is expanding to other countries, where active recruitment is ongoing.
The DRC government has welcomed MONUSCO’s withdrawal from the country, saying the exit has to be “structured and civilised” to allow a transfer of skills between the peacekeeping mission’s outgoing personnel and the local security officers.
Patrick Muyaya, the Government Spokesperson of DRC, who is also the Minister for Communication, said they cannot set a deadline for MONUSCO to leave the country, because there could be “several unforeseen and imponderable events”.
Muyaya spoke during the joint press briefing with MONUSCO head, Keita.
Established in 1999
MONUSCO was established in July 1999 following the signing of the Lusaka ceasefire between the DRC and five regional states – Angola, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
After the Rwandan genocide in 1994, some of the perpetrators of the violence fled into the neighbouring Kivu region in eastern DRC. In 1998, some of them launched rebellion against the then-President of DRC, Laurent Kabila.
Angola, Chad, Namibia and Zimbabwe promised Kabila military support, but the rebels maintained their grip on the eastern regions.
Rwanda and Uganda reportedly supported the rebel movement, the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD). To avert a dangerous regional conflict, The UN Security Council called for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of foreign forces. It also urged states not to interfere in DRC’s internal affairs.
The resultant ceasefire led to the establishment of MONUSCO.
