MONUSCO Troops Make Strategic Withdrawal From Key Military Base In DR Congo

MONUSCO, the United Nations peace keeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on Tuesday said its forces had made a strategic withdrawal from the eastern military base of Rumangabo, giving up in the battle against the M23 rebel group, reported The Reuters.

U.N. troops have been backing the DR Congo forces in the fight against the M23, which launched a new offensive in October and seized the town of Kiwanja last week.

“We have made a strategic and tactical withdrawal from Rumangabo, in consultation with our partners, to better prepare the next steps together,” the MONUSCO said in a post on Twitter.

It did not provide any other details.

M23, a mostly Congolese Tutsi group, resumed fighting in late 2021 after lying dormant for years. It has since captured swathes of territory in North Kivu province. The group’s resurgence has destabilised regional relations in central Africa, with the DRC accusing Rwanda of backing the militia.

The loss of the major military base in the troubled eastern Congo is a setback for the country and a further blow to the worsening security condition in the conflict-hit east. The crisis has also deepened a standoff with neighbouring Rwanda over its alleged support for the rebels, which it denies.

There have been violent demonstrations against the UN mission since last two months that have killed dozens, including civilians, peacekeepers and Congolese police elsewhere in eastern Congo.

Last week, two MONUCO peacekeepers were injured by mortar fire and two others by small arms during attacks by M23 on one of the reportedly captured towns, Kiwanja in North Kivu.

The UN mission warned that the attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes and that it will spare no effort to prosecute those responsible before national and/or international courts. It strongly condemned the hostile actions of the M23 and their serious consequences on the civilian populations.

MONUSCO also called out the rebel group to immediately cease all belligerence and warned that it stands ready to retaliate vigorously in the event of new aggression on its bases.