UN peacekeepers in Congo withdraw from key military base, as protesters set UN vehicles on fire

The United Nations troops stationed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had made a strategic withdrawal from the eastern military base of Rumangabo, ceding ground in the battle against the M23 rebel group, the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, known as MONUSCO, said.

UN troops have been supporting Congolese forces in the fight against the M23, which launched a new offensive in October and recently seized the town of Kiwanja, breaking months of relative calm. “We have made a strategic and tactical withdrawal from Rumangabo, in consultation with our partners, to better prepare the next steps together,” MONUSCO said in a post on Twitter. The loss of the major military base is a setback for Congo and a further blow to the security outlook in the conflict-hit east. The crisis has also deepened a standoff with neighboring Rwanda over its alleged support for the rebels, which it denies.

Meanwhile, protesters set fire to UN vehicles in Goma on Tuesday night, protesting against the presence of the MONUSCO mission in the country. The blazes started after rumors about the UN allegedly transporting rebels from the M23 group had spread among displaced people and residents in the city. The situation in the country’s east has worsened in recent months, and on Saturday (29 October), rebels seized control of two major towns and doubled the territory they hold after fierce fighting with the military. The M23 rose to prominence more than a decade ago when its fighters seized Goma, the largest city in Congo’s east, which sits along the border with Rwanda.