This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
Published on November 6, 2019, a UN review recommended that the MONUSCO peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) should exit the country by the end of 2022 at the earliest.
The review, which assessed the UN presence in the DRC following the election of President Felix Tshisekedi, suggested that a departure by the end of 2022 would allow for a responsible transition, provided that reforms announced by the new authorities remain on track and conditions for a best-case scenario materialise.
However, the review also noted that there should be 'red lines' that would cause the withdrawal to be paused, and suggested a political mission to help prevent a resurgence of conflict.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed his support for extending MONUSCO's mandate beyond the year-end, stating that a strategic review would help make the mission 'more useful still to the Congolese people' in terms of security and politics.
The DRC army has launched large-scale operations against armed militias in the country's troubled east, following a recent attack by the Islamist-rooted Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) that killed 10 civilians.
The ADF, which arose in western Uganda in 1995, has targeted the Beni region, killing hundreds of civilians over the last five years.
The impoverished central African country has been wracked by conflict near its eastern border, with many of the militias having evolved from the two Congo wars (1996-1997 and 1998-2003).
