The UN Peacekeeping Mission (MONUSCO) is not leaving this province of its own accord. She recalls in a press release that this is at the request of Kinshasa and with the approval of the Security Council. Since January, the authorities have inherited two MONUSCO military bases in this province. Five more should be handed over between May and June. But we will have to wait until June 30 to see all uniformed personnel repatriated.
The mission specifies that only a residual team of civilian personnel will remain on site responsible for working on the transition. The joint plan between MONUSCO and Kinshasa provides for the government to strengthen its presence in areas abandoned by the peacekeepers.
A security situation still worrying
MONUSCO notes, however, that the security situation in the province remains worrying due to a general context of remobilization of armed actors and strong regional tensions. The only legal UN presence in South Kivu will be that of UN funds and programs.
One thing is certain for humanitarian actors, the absence of peacekeepers will reduce their access to high-risk areas and under the control of armed groups.
