Experts Begin Reflection On Progressive Withdrawal Of UN Forces From DR Congo

Experts of the United Nations sub commission on human rights and civil protection on Thursday, March 10, began reflecting on the progressive, orderly, and responsible withdrawal of the United Nations mission for the stabilisation of the DR Congo.

Rose Mutombo Kiese, the DR Congo Minister of State for Justice and Keeper of the Seals, who presided over the ceremony said she was gladdened by the launching of the work of the sub commission in order to attain the objectives through the different meetings that would be organised.

She profited from the occasion to encourage the experts so that at the opportune moment, the conclusions of the sub commission would be available.

“We are meeting to launch the work of our sub commission to attain our objectives through the different meetings that would be organised,” the Minister said. 

“I seize this opportunity to encourage our experts so that at the opportune moment, we would have the conclusions of our sub commission and I invite them to work with much assiduity and seriousness so that this group can really reflect and attain the objectives assigned to us by the general assembly.”

“I dare hope that the work that would be carried out during the different meetings would help the DR Congo and our partner to be able to effectively attain the departure or engagements previewed in the resolution of the United Nations Security Council.”

The Assistant Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in charge of Protection and Operations in the DR Congo, Kassim Diagne recalled that the transition plan of the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) had been elaborated with a view to a progressive transfer of tasks of the mission to the Congolese government.

He insisted that there must be a joint evaluation mechanism to update the analyses of the situation on the ground.

“The MONUSCO Transition Plan had been elaborated within the perspective of a progressive transfer of tasks of the mission to the DR Congo government with the support of all the national teams of the United Nations, and also other partners of the international community in order to permit the progressive, responsible and durable withdrawal of the mission,”  the UN official explained.

“Consultations have also been carried out with civil society actors including groups of women and during these discussions, the importance of a joint evaluation mechanism implicating the DR Congo government, the entire United Nations and the civil society to update the analyses of the situation on the ground as well as progress in putting in place the priority milestones.”

The MONUSCO mandate had been prolonged to December 2022 and on September 15, 2021, the DR Congo Prime Minister, Sama Lukonde, co-signed with Bintou Keita, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in the DR Congo, the transition plan for the progressive pulling out of MONUSCO.

The document contains 18 landmarks of indicators on the gradual, responsible and sustainable withdrawal of MONUSCO around 2024.

In December last year, the UN Security Council called on MONUSCO to withdraw from Tanganyika province between then and June 2022, and to consolidate its presence in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, three provinces where open conflicts persist. It also called on MONUSCO to, at the same time, continue with its good offices and work of reinforcing institutions at the national level, as previewed in the common strategy, including the maintenance of an alert and rapid response facility.