U.N. Peacekeepers Exit Kamanyola Base as DR Congo Police Assume Control
On February 28, Pakistani MONUSCO peacekeepers officially closed their Kamanyola base in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), marking a significant step in the joint withdrawal plan between the DRC government and MONUSCO. Bintou Keita, the Head of the UN. Stabilization Mission in the DRC, attended the ceremony, emphasizing that Kamanyola is the first MONUSCO base in South Kivu to shut down under the agreed-upon withdrawal plan signed on November 21, 2023.
Established in 2005, the Kamanyola base played a crucial role in the volatile Ruzizi plain region. With the closure, responsibility for security in the area transitions to the Congolese National Police. The move aligns with the broader initiative for the accelerated, gradual, orderly, and responsible withdrawal of MONUSCO from the DRC.
Senegalese General Diouf Khar, the interim Commander-in-Chief of MONUSCO forces, expressed confidence in the professionalism of the Congolese defense and security forces taking over. Despite acknowledging existing challenges, General Khar believes in their ability to address them with determination.
The Congolese National Police is now responsible for security in the region.
The Kamanyola base is located in a particularly volatile area of the Ruzizi plain.
The interim Commander-in-Chief of MONUSCO forces said he was confident in their professionalism.
“I am aware of the existing challenges, but I am also confident in the ability of the Congolese defence and security forces to face the challenges with determination and professionalism,” Senegalese general Diouf Khar said.
The MONUSCO force arrived in Congo in 2010 after taking over from an earlier U.N. peacekeeping mission to protect civilians and humanitarian personnel and to support the Congolese government in its stabilization and peace consolidation efforts.
However, frustrated Congolese say that no one is protecting them from rebel attacks, leading to protests against the U.N. mission and others that have at times turned deadly.
Over the years of its existence, eastern DR Congo continues to be ravaged by more than 120 armed groups seeking a share of the region’s resources such as gold and trying to protect their communities, some accused of them of being quietly backed by DRC’s neighbors and foreign powers.