The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo known as MONUSCO handed over its first military base to security forces in eastern Congo on Wednesday. This came as part of an eventual withdrawal after decades of operating in the country. The handover comes as violence soars in the conflict-riddled region, AP reports.
MONUSCO’s withdrawal called for by Kinshasa last year, comes after 25 years of presence. It was formalized in December by the United Nations Security Council, despite its concerns over the escalation of violence in eastern Congo. Congolese authorities had deemed the force’s operations as ineffective.
Speaking at the ceremony on Wednesday, U.N. mission chief Bintou Keita said she hoped the handover was the start of a peaceful withdrawal process.
“We hope that the handover of Kamanyola … will serve as a model and inspiration for the rest of (the peacekeepers’) disengagement process,” she said.
Mixed emotions
But there were mixed emotions among the population Wednesday as the base was handed over. Some praised the mission for its peace-building work. The U.N. “has contributed a great deal,” said Gloire Bahati. “I can imagine that without it, we would all be trampled underfoot by our enemies.”
Others said it was time for Congo’s security forces to protect the country, noting that decades of foreign involvement had yielded little.
“When (the UN) arrived, we thought we would see a serious crackdown on insecurity,” said Ushindi Kulimushi, a resident of the town. “But unfortunately, we have experienced the same thing up to the present day. Let (them) go, because it has failed in its mission,” he told AP.
MONUSCO currently numbers some 15,000 peacekeepers. It is still present in the region’s three most troubled provinces, South and North Kivu, as well as Ituri. The UN and Kinshasa adopted a three-phase “disengagement plan” which they say needs to be “orderly, responsible and sustainable”.
Intense fighting resumed last month around the city of Goma, North Kivu’s capital. The latest clashes have pushed tens of thousands of civilians to flee. Around six million people in total having been displaced by the fighting.
