DR Congo: Félix Tshisekedi calls for an accelerated withdrawal from MONUSCO

“It is illusory and counterproductive to count on MONUSCO to restore peace and stability”declares the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo before the UN General Assembly.

The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo has called for an accelerated withdrawal of the UN stabilization mission (MONUSCO), present in his country. The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) has been deployed in eastern DRC since 1999.

In his speech on Wednesday during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Félix Tshisekedi said he was frustrated by the lack of effectiveness of the mission in the fight against violence. “It is time for the DRC to become the main actor in its stability. It is illusory and counterproductive to rely on MONUSCO to restore peace and stability. Its withdrawal has become necessary to ease tensions between the populations and the mission”did he declare.

Protests recently broke out in the Democratic Republic of Congo against the UN peacekeeping force, accused of failing to stem violence committed by multiple armed groups.

On August 30, more than 50 people were killed in the city of Goma, capital of North Kivu province, after the army intervened to disperse members of a religious sect, called Natural Judaic and Messianic. Faith Towards the Nations, who had gathered to protest the presence of the UN peacekeeping force in the country.

Thousands of people live in camps in the two provinces most affected by the conflict, North Kivu and Ituri.