The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced that it had “temporarily suspended its withdrawal,” without specifying a timetable for the next phase, after the completion of the first phase last June.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s ambassador to the United Nations, Zenon Mukonjo Ngai, said, “The first phase of the withdrawal in South Kivu Province was completed on June 25, and was scheduled to be completed by last April.”
He pointed out that “conditions are not yet available for the next stage,” accusing Rwanda of working to “escalate clashes in the troubled eastern Congo.”
“In light of Rwanda’s ongoing aggression in North Kivu, the next phase of withdrawal will be implemented, when conditions permit, following ongoing joint assessments,” he said in a speech before the UN Security Council.
In turn, the head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Binto Keita, said that there is “no timetable for withdrawal from the North Kivu or Ituri regions.” The next option, as we said, is to stop, prepare and see what comes next based on the reality on the ground.”
For her part, the Democratic Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Therese Wamba Wagner, said, “The government wants to avoid creating a security vacuum. “When it comes to North Kivu, we will take into account the developments we see on the ground before making responsible decisions and starting this process when the most favorable conditions are met.”
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