UN approves phased MONUSCO withdrawal from DR Congo

The Security Council adopted resolution 2717 on 19 December 2023, setting out a gradual, responsible and sustainable withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The decision connected the departure of peacekeepers with the transfer of responsibilities to Congolese authorities.

The security handover

Transferring responsibilities to Congolese authorities raised a question of capacity: which institutions would protect communities as peacekeepers departed? In areas threatened by armed groups, the timetable for withdrawal and the ability to maintain civilian protection were inseparable. The Council’s framework sought to link the mission’s departure to that transfer, rather than treating troop reductions as an end in themselves.