DRC: The DRC Wants UN Peacekeepers Gone, but Endless War around Minerals Is Complicating That [Video]

Nov 2, 2024 | Associated Press
View Original

United Nations peacekeepers in Congo were meant to leave the country in December, but soaring violence in the east by Rwanda-backed rebels has meant for now, the peacekeepers are staying. The UN missions been there for more than 20 years tasked with protecting the population, but many Congolese feel like nothing’s changed since they’ve arrived, and that no one is properly defending them. On a rare embed, Associated Press reporters went to a United Nations base a few miles from the frontlines, where they said that they are defending hundreds of thousands of displaced people. The UN also says that it is training Congo’s army to defend the country as well as protect the population. It is unclear right now when the UN is going to leave. The government has said that it is going to create a new timeline for their departure. It is also unclear who is going to step into the gap once the peacekeepers finally do leave.