DRC: UN soldiers not leaving due to the 'invasion' of Rwanda
The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) may have to postpone the plan to withdraw its troops from the war-torn region of North Kivu due to the presence of Rwandan soldiers in eastern DRC.
The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) may have to postpone the plan to withdraw its troops from the war-torn region of North Kivu due to the presence of Rwandan soldiers in eastern DRC.
DR Congo's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Therese Kayikwamba, told the Reuters news agency that, "The current situation of the presence of Rwandan soldiers...the invasion of Rwanda makes the plan (to leave the UN troops) difficult to implement."
He emphasized that, despite the fact that the DRC attaches importance to the plan to leave the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in the country, but it should be done in a special order, if the circumstances allow.
And Bintou Keita, Head of the MONUSCO Force said there is no specific time for the soldiers of the force to leave as requested by President Felix Tshisekedi of the DRC in September last year.
This comes a few days after the United Nations revealed in its report that between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are fighting side by side with the rebels of the M23 group in eastern Congo DR, with Kigali leading the group's operations.
In addition, the UN report said that the Ugandan army has provided support to the M23 rebels who are running their movement in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The United Nations report accuses Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya of supporting the M23 rebels, as fighting escalates and raises fears of new fighting in eastern DRC.
