MONUSCO/Kevin Jordan – A MONUSCO team on a community engagement mission in Uvira and Sange, in the South Kivu province.
New York, USA, February 28, 2024 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/-The UN began, on Wednesday, the gradual withdrawal of its peacekeeping forces deployed in the province of South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), by handing over a first base to the Congolese police, announced the organization.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO), Bintou Keita, transferred the first UN base, as part of this disengagement. During an official ceremony at the Kamanyola base, the flags of the United Nations and Pakistan, the country of origin of the peacekeepers in charge, were replaced by those of the DRC.
“I congratulate the Congolese authorities for the reinforcement of the Congolese National Police in Kamanyola, in accordance with the commitments made by the government, in order to increase the power and capacity of the Defense and Security Forces, in parallel with the disengagement of MONUSCO,” said Ms. Keita.
An orderly and responsible withdrawal
This base, established in Kamanyola in 2005, and near the Rwandan and Burundian borders, ensured the protection of civilians and the security of populations in the area. It will now be managed by the Congolese National Police. Ms. Keita hopes that the handover of Kamanyola, combined with the ongoing construction of the Congolese National Police Sub-Commissariat by MONUSCO, will serve as a model and inspiration for the rest of the disengagement process of the UN peace mission.
This transfer of responsibilities and equipment constitutes one of the first acts of the disengagement of MONUSCO from the province of South Kivu. Indeed, the joint note, signed on November 21, 2023, by the government of the DRC and MONUSCO, identifies South Kivu as the first province from which the UN must withdraw, as part of its “orderly withdrawal , responsible and tiered of the country”.
“The replacement of a military force by the police is an indicator of the return of peace”, underlined on the X platform, General Jean-Bosco Galenga, Representative of the General Commissioner of the Congolese National Police during the handover ceremony from the Kamanyola base to the Congolese authorities.
A UN-Government delegation assesses disengagement
Last December, the United Nations Security Council noted Kinshasa’s request for a gradual withdrawal of the UN mission, which arrived in 1999. MONUSCO (formerly MONUC), which currently has around 15,000 peacekeepers, is still present in the three most troubled provinces in the region, South Kivu and North Kivu, as well as Ituri.
As part of this disengagement, the interim governor of the South Kivu province, Marc Malago Kashekere, welcomed the UN leadership on Tuesday February 27. At the heart of discussions with the Congolese authorities, the progress made, as well as the challenges to be met as part of this transition.
The discussions focused in particular on the responsibility of the Congolese government in terms of “protection of civilians, security in high-risk areas, security of humanitarians, supervision of uniformed personnel and accessibility of different areas to the interior of the province”.
Making the disengagement of South Kivu a model
“There is a transition that must be made and which consists of transferring responsibilities in many areas where we support the government authority,” argued Ms. Keita, noting that the discussions between the two parties—UN and Congolese— will continue, in order to “make the disengagement of South Kivu a model”.
It thus reiterates the commitment and availability of MONUSCO to work jointly with the Congolese authorities, to implement the disengagement plan, in order to ensure an orderly, responsible and sustainable withdrawal of the mission in the DRC.
However, the head of MONUSCO recalls that the disengagement of MONUSCO from South Kivu is not synonymous with a departure of the United Nations from the DRC. Rather, it is a reconfiguration of the UN presence, in support of the people and the government of the DRC.
After the departure of MONUSCO, UN humanitarian agencies will continue their support, according to their respective mandates. But responsibility for the protection of civilians and security will be exclusively that of the Congolese government.
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) for UN Info.
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Source : African Media Agency (AMA)