"Withdraw From My Country"- DRC’s Tshisekedi Orders UN ‘Peace Keepers’

By Kundu Ronald

New York City, September 21, 2023 - In a bold move, President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has urged his government to accelerate the withdrawal of the United Nations peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, from his country. President Tshisekedi made this announcement during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

MONUSCO, which took over from a previous UN operation in 2010, was initially deployed to address security concerns in the volatile eastern region of the DRC. This area has long been plagued by armed conflicts and disputes over land and resources among various militia groups.

However, the presence of MONUSCO has faced growing criticism in recent years, particularly for its perceived failure to protect civilians from militia violence. These criticisms have led to deadly protests against the UN mission.

President Tshisekedi expressed his disappointment with the peacekeeping missions, stating, "It is to be deplored that peacekeeping missions deployed for 25 years… have failed to cope with the rebellions and armed conflicts."

In response to this, he announced his directive to the government, saying, "This is why… I instructed the Government of the Republic to begin discussions with the U.N. authorities for an accelerated withdrawal of MONUSCO… by bringing forward the start of this progressive withdrawal from December 2024 to December 2023."

The call for an expedited withdrawal comes in the wake of violent anti-UN demonstrations in the eastern city of Goma last month, during which more than 40 people lost their lives, and dozens were wounded. Additionally, a protest in July 2022 resulted in over 15 deaths, including three UN peacekeepers in Goma and the city of Butembo.

President Tshisekedi's decision to hasten the departure of MONUSCO is likely to have significant implications for the security situation in the DRC. It remains to be seen how this development will impact the country's stability and efforts to address ongoing conflicts in the eastern region.

As the DRC moves toward the end of 2023, the international community will closely monitor the progress and implications of this accelerated withdrawal of UN peacekeepers from one of Africa's most troubled regions.