UN peacekeepers attend a ceremony in Goma, DR Congo, on March 11, 2023, in honor of colleagues killed in the line of duty since the mission began. (AFP/File)
Metropolis Desk-
The mission of the UN in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is nearing its “final phase,” according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who also cautioned that the situation there has “deteriorated sharply.”
Guterres gave a sobering assessment of the unrest in the DRC in a report to the UN Security Council and outlined a strategy for the “accelerated and responsible withdrawal” of the UN’s MONUSCO operation after nearly 25 years in the nation.
In a 15-page report released on Thursday, it was noted that there had been an increase in regional tensions and a deteriorating humanitarian crisis during the previous year, with “hundreds of thousands of civilians being forcibly displaced.”
The report also stated that “sexual abuse of children more than doubled from 2021 to 2022.”
Approximately four million people, or 28 and 39 percent of the population, respectively, are displaced in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, which are the two regions most severely impacted by the fighting.
The M23 rebel group’s rebirth, which it said has “seized large swathes” of land, is at the center of these clashes.
According to the study, the rebels have “created parallel, illegal administrations” and engaged in “arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial executions.”
Contrary to recent findings by the UN Group of Experts on the DRC, which prompted several nations to denounce Rwanda for its role in the conflict, the paper does not refer to Rwandan troops being present with the M23 on Congolese soil.
For many years, discussions on the future of the DRC have revolved around the UN mission’s impending withdrawal, which has also fueled populist rhetoric and created tension there.
In response to what he called MONUSCO’s “perceived inaction,” Guterres remarked, “MONUSCO continues to be a focal point of popular discontent and frustration.”
By the government of the DRC’s stated objectives, the UN confirmed its willingness to withdraw MONUSCO, but also cautioned that “a premature withdrawal… would have consequences for the civilians relying on the Mission for their protection and safety.”
Felix Tshisekedi, the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, stated to France 24 in September 2022 that he thought there would be no need for MONUSCO to continue after the presidential election in December 2023, in which he will be seeking reelection.
Source- Arab News
