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Reuters
KINSHASA — UN peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have withdrawn from one of the country's largest cities in the east after deadly protests over failure to protect civilians, Congolese and UN officials say. said Thursday.
Butembo, a trading hub for nearly a million people, has been one of the epicenters of violent demonstrations since last month that have killed dozens, including civilians, peacekeepers and Congolese police. .
General Constandima, the military governor of North Kivu province, told reporters that hundreds of troops and civilian personnel in Butembo had left and a discussion was planned on how to evacuate their equipment. said there is.
Ndeye Khady Lo, spokesperson for the mission, known by the French acronym MONUSCO, said the departure was temporary.
"MONUSCO will not leave Butembo. After consultations with local and national authorities, the mission has proceeded with a temporary redeployment of personnel outside Butembo," she told Reuters. However, he did not say when they would return. exposed. MONUSCO has a force of about 12,400 and costs more than $1 billion a year.
Even after a peace deal in 2003 marked the end of a five-year regional conflict that has killed millions, UN peacekeepers and Congolese forces have continued to attack dozens of rebel groups in the eastern region. failed to eradicate persistent violence by It borders Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.
Locals often accuse peacekeepers of being too passive. The protests that erupted last month were called by a faction of the ruling party's youth wing. , aimed to be achieved by the end of 2024.
Conditions include reducing the extremist threat, reestablishing state power in conflict areas, and making progress in disarming and demobilizing former rebels. (Reporting by Erikas Mwisi Kambale and Stanis Bujakera; Writing by Aait Miridzhanian; Editing by Aaron Ross and Frances Kerry)
