NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said the body’s assignment in the Democratic Republic of Congo is entering its final phase, AFP reported on Saturday.
In a report to the UN Security Council, he warned that the situation of the country has deteriorated in recent days.
Guterres in his assessment of the conflict in the DRC proposed a responsible withdrawal of the UN’s MONUSCO mission which is continuing for almost 25 years.
The 15-page document highlighted regional tensions and a deteriorating humanitarian situation last year.
UN Mission in DR Congo Enters into Final Stage
It said that violence has mostly affected the eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri forcing people to leave the conflict-hit areas.
It said that the main issue in Congo is the resurgence of the M23 rebel group, which has captured parts of the country.
According to the report the rebels have established parallel illegal governments and arrested many people and carried out extrajudicial executions.
The document did not mention the presence of Rwandan troops alongside the M23 on Congolese soil. Whereas UN Group of Experts on the DRC has condemned Rwanda for its involvement in the conflict.
In September 2022, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi stated there would be no reason for MONUSCO to remain beyond the December 2023 presidential election.
