Congo Rejects UN Peacekeeper Withdrawal Amid Rwandan Presence, Rebel Violence
The Democratic Republic of Congo has announced it will not ask the United Nations to withdraw its peacekeepers from the North Kivu province, citing the presence of Rwandan troops and Rwanda-backed rebels as well as ongoing violence.
According to Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, the situation in eastern Congo is not conducive for a troop pullout due to the ongoing instability. Meanwhile, a United Nations report revealed this week that between 3,000-4,000 Rwandan soldiers are fighting alongside Congolese troops and overseeing rebel operations in the region.
Last Friday, the Congolese army accused the rebels of violating a humanitarian ceasefire announced by the United States, as tensions in the region continue to simmer. The situation escalated in September last year when President Felix Tshisekedi demanded the withdrawal of UN peacekeepers, claiming they were refusing to take action against the rebels. The development led to deadly protests, with dozens of people killed in demonstrations targeting United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) bases in eastern Congo.
The peacekeepers had already partially withdrawn from South Kivu province in June. The M23 rebel group, which was inactive for more than a decade, reinvigorated its insurgency in 2022, seizing control of vast swathes of North Kivu territory and displacing nearly 1 million people.
The rebels claim to be protecting ethnic Tutsi communities from genocide, although their actions have left many civilians in the crossfire. The Congolese army and international community continue to strive for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, ensuring the safety and well-being of all those affected in the region.
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