The U.N. peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo will suspend its withdrawal, with no schedule determined for the subsequent phase after the initial departure in June, according to the government and mission.
Last September, President Felix Tshisekedi called for the mission to speed up the withdrawal of peacekeepers stationed in the Central African country to address insecurity caused by armed groups fighting for territory and resources.
Congo’s ambassador to the United Nations, Zenon Mukongo Ngay, announced on Monday that the first phase of the withdrawal in South Kivu province was completed on June 25, though it had initially been planned for completion by April.
Ngay noted that the prerequisites for the subsequent phase had not yet been fulfilled, citing neighboring Rwanda for the uptick in conflicts in eastern Congo.
“Given Rwanda’s persistent aggression in North Kivu, the next phase of withdrawal, phase 2, will proceed when circumstances permit, based on ongoing joint assessments,” he stated in an address to the U.N. Security Council.
Both Congo and the United Nations have consistently asserted that Rwanda supports the M23 rebel group, claims that Kigali has repeatedly denied.
The head of the U.N. mission, Bintou Keita, mentioned that there is “no fixed schedule” for withdrawal from North Kivu or Ituri provinces.
“I cannot speculate on what comes next,” Keita told reporters at the United Nations in New York on Monday. “Our approach now is to pause, prepare, and assess the situation on the ground before deciding our next steps.”
Therese Wamba Wagner, Congo’s foreign minister, expressed the government’s intention to prevent creating a security void.
“In regard to North Kivu, we will assess the developments on the ground before making prudent decisions and initiating this process under the most favorable conditions,” she informed reporters in Kinshasa.