The United States has opposed the push by the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi to end the mission of peacekeepers including the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) who were deployed in 2022.
The United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) was created to bring peace to the troubled Eastern DRC which is controlled by militants.
Addressing the UN Security Council, United States Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated that while the request was sensible, DRC has to prove its ability to enforce law and order in the country before the troops are withdrawn.
She added that a lot of efforts had gone into the peacekeeping mission which is why it could not be scrapped on short notice.
“We appreciate and we share the DRC’s commitment to a responsible, orderly, progressive, and successful withdrawal while continuing to prioritize the protection of civilians,” Greenfield stated.
“However, 24 years of peacekeeping in the DRC represents an enormous investment in resources and lives, and we must build on these investments. I look forward to hearing more from the UN Secretariat, MONUSCO, and the DRC on how to ensure the protection of civilians before, during, and most importantly – after MONUSCO’s departure.”
The ambassador expressed concerns about DRC's preparedness to protect the Congolese people highlighting the probability of a serious humanitarian situation and massive loss of lives should the reverse be the case.
Emphasizing the importance of the troops in the East African Country, Greenfield stated that the US was open to a conversation on enhancing MONUSCO’s roles.
Further, she celebrated Kenya’s efforts in resolving the DRC conflict, calling for a meeting to negotiate a solution between the DRC’s warring parties.
"The United States is committed to an orderly and coordinated transition of MONUSCO, and to assisting the DRC government to strengthen key governance, justice, and security institutions,” Greenfield concluded.
Following the ambassador’s remarks, all eyes are on President Tshisekedi to see how he will respond to her recommendations.
On September 21, DRC’s president Felix Tshisekedi informed the United Nations General Assembly that he had initiated plans to withdraw the soldiers from the country stressing that they had failed to quell rebellions and armed conflicts throughout their 25 years of presence in the country.
The troops in question come from Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Mali among other countries.
“I instructed the government of the republic to begin discussions with the UN authorities for an accelerated withdrawal of MONUSCO … by bringing forward the start of this progressive withdrawal from December 2024 to December 2023,” Tshisekedi said in an address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 21, 2023.
