UN prepares to start pulling peacekeepers from DR Congo

UN peacekeepers drive past Rutshuru residents in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. PHOTO AFP via Getty Images

What you need to know:

  • Despite a volatile domestic situation, the Congolese government has for months been calling for an "accelerated" withdrawal of UN peacekeepers, from the end of 2023 rather than the end of 2024. It considers the UN force to be ineffective in protecting civilians from the armed groups and militias that have plagued the eastern DRC for three decades.