Summit meeting between Félix Tshisekedi and Bintou Keita on the withdrawal of MONUSCO from the DRC

An important tête-à-tête took place in Kinshasa on Saturday 26 August, highlighting the meeting between President Félix Tshisekedi and the head of the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), Bintou Keita. According to statements made by the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative in the DRC, the meeting covered crucial issues relating to cooperation between the DRC and MONUSCO.

Discussions focused on the security situation in the east of the country, with particular attention paid to developments linked to the M23 rebel group, as Bintou Keita pointed out. Security concerns in the regions of Greater North Kivu and Ituri were also highlighted.

Discussions also focused on the East African Community (EAC) regional force and the future deployment of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission.

In closing the meeting, Bintou Keita emphasised: "We also discussed in depth the organisation of a departure for MONUSCO that is commensurate with the importance of our presence in the Democratic Republic of Congo".

At the same time, the defence ministers of seven EAC member countries met in Nairobi on the previous Thursday. They agreed to extend the presence of the EAC regional force in the DRC beyond the expiry date of its mandate on 8 September, in order to consolidate the "progress" made on the ground. The extension underlines the continued commitment to stability and security in the region.