The transition process leading up to the departure of the MONUSCO peacekeeping mission from the DRC is under way, as discussions are ongoing with the government to ensure a "responsible" and gradual withdrawal, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, told media.
The UN top official delivered his remarks at a press conference about the results of his visit to the DRC. Speaking in the capital city Kinshasa, Lacroix confirmed that the peacekeeping mission is in its transition phase, and urged the Congolese state to step up its own response to the military groups that continue to operate in the east of the country.
He explained that in order to avoid a "security vacuum", the Congolese government must enhance its efforts to ensure peace and stability and gradually take charge of the activities which are today being carried out by MONUSCO. He underlined that the mission is trying to assist the government in this process.
"We're obviously going to continue this work, and at the same time work with the Congolese authorities so that, as I said, as the Congolese state becomes more powerful MONUSCO will be able to phase out its presence, but in a responsible manner. Once again, I would like to stress that there must be no security vacuum, which would be fatal to these populations," he was quoted as saying.
In addition to that, Lacroix acknowledged the frustration over the mission's partial failure to ensure stability in the nation, emphasizing that levels of insecurity remain high, especially in the eastern part of the country.
The peacekeepers' activity in the DRC has come under severe criticism, with many protesting against MONUSCO for seeing little improvement in security despite its presence, and at times causing more unrest than peace.
"Everyone has been concerned by the violence that occurred during recent demonstrations. Many of our interlocutors are concerned about hate speech, [...] discourse based on ethnic confrontation, and of course it is essential to put an end to such rhetoric," the UN official stressed.
MONUSCO, the French acronym for the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC, is still in the country, but is reportedly set to withdraw this year.
The mission took over from a previous UN peacekeeping operation – the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) – on 1 July 2010. It was launched to protect civilians, humanitarian personnel and to support the government of the DRC in its peace settlement efforts, according to the UN.
More than 120 armed groups are reportedly operating in major parts of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, destabilizing the country and nearby territories. Last year, as the security situation deteriorated, with the rebel group M23 rising up against the government, member countries of the East African Community set up a regional force with a mandate to secure peace and stability in the country.
Last month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated that his Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region and the UN mission in the country will continue to support ongoing efforts to put an end to the hostilities and plight of populations who have suffered the most from instability.
According to the UN Refugee Agency, persistent attacks carried out by armed groups in the DRC continue to cause forced displacement and extreme hardship for millions of Congolese. The agency added that the country has 6.2 million internally displaced people, and more than 1.3 million have become refugees.