By Prosper HERI NGORORA
Goma, 3 March 2024 -After spending more than 25 years in Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UN mission in Congo Monusco is expected to withdraw from Congolese soil by the end of 2024. A gradual withdrawal agreement has already been concluded with the government at the end of 2023 and is being implemented by stakeholders. What will the post-Monusco era look like?
The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC have signed a note on the accelerated, gradual, orderly and responsible withdrawal of the peacekeeping mission from the country.
This note was co-signed by the Congolese vice prime minister and minister of foreign affairs Christophe Lutundula and head of Monusco Bintou Keita.
The note signed on 21 November 2023 specifies plan, timeline for the complete disengagement of the mission in the country.
Wednesday 28 February, MONUSCO transferred its first base to the Congolese authorities in Kamanyola, in the territory of Walungu in South Kivu province.
“It is with deep honor and great responsibility that I stand before you today to mark a historic moment: the transfer of authority from the Kamanyola base to the Congolese national police. This moment symbolizes an important step in the implementation of the disengagement and transition process” said General Diouf Khar, acting commander-in-chief of MONUSCO forces.
The Congolese government asked the UN Security Council to allow an accelerated, responsible, orderly and successful and progressive withdrawal of MONUSCO.
On October 16 2023, a declaration from the UN Security Council noted the establishment of the process which could lead to the progressive and responsible withdrawal of MONUSCO forces from the DRC.
“We have started with MONUSCO the process of developing the withdrawal plan as we in the DRC have requested. The discussions concern the following: The DRC on one side and MONUSCO on the other side will propose the plan for disengagement of MONUSCO troops, we will agree on the practical modalities, we will develop a plan for the gradual reduction of troops of MONUSCO” said Christophe LUTUNDULA late in 2023.
Bintou Keita, Monusco head disclosed that the disengagement of MONUSCO is not the disengagement of the United Nations. The UN is present before, during and after the existence of a peacekeeping mission, she said.
Jack SINZAHERA, a human right activist in Goma and among those who organized demonstrations against peacekeepers demands Congolese government to avoid a possible security vacuum after Monusco withdrawal.
“The Congolese government must take its responsibilities to secure the Congolese people, it must abandon lightness” he says, welcoming the start of the withdrawal of this UN force from Kamanyola.
For those who are wondering if Congolese government will be able to protect its population, Mr Lutundula is confident that initiatives are already taken in order to make sure that civilians are protected.
“Anticipation is not rushing. Progressive means that we must gradually take responsibility. This is the meaning of the work we started today. If we are in the logic of organizing things, it is because we want to avoid that” he responded.
As the effective closure of Monusco presence in South Kivu will be on June 30, 2024, Bintou Keita said that after May 1 2024, the responsibility for protecting civilians in that province will be exclusivity of the DRC state.
Christophe Lutundula revealed that national authorities are just executing the wishes of the population who would like the departure of UN troops from DRC.
However, he praised Congolese government for some progresses reported in its efforts of beefing up security in the whole Congo.
“It is these Congolese who are supposed to be protected by MONUSCO who believe that there is no protection and that the Congolese State must assume its responsibilities. The Congolese state is not dead, it is somewhat weakened. We have an army and the police. Today, efforts are being made to ensure that these forces carry out their sovereign tasks. We will continue to organize the protection of the population. This is for example what you see today with the Wazalendo phenomenon” he hammered.
Every three months, the DRC and MONUSCO will be able to assess how they are implementing the disengagement plan.
Since a while, demontrations have been organized in Democratic Republic of the Congo, demanding Monusco to leave DRC.
Protesters accuse UN peacekeepers of failing to protect thema against regular massacres and other kind of violences perpatrated by armed groups.
In July 2022, deadly demontrations were reported in the East of DRC and more than 35 persons, civilians and UN peacekeepers were killed.
The congolese government announced that figures were distributed as follows: 13 deaths in Goma, 13 deaths in Butembo including 4 peacekeepers, 4 deaths in Uvira, 3 deaths in Kanyabayonga, and 3 deaths in Kasindi. To this is added nearly 170 injured people, stated the report.
