U.N. says MONUSCO will continue protection work as displacement climbs in eastern DRC
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Summary
Responding to a question from a Congolese journalist, U.N. Secretary‑General Gutierrez said MONUSCO will continue protecting civilians in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and support monitoring under Doha accords amid reports of 5.7 million displaced people and 21 million needing assistance.
At a U.N. press briefing, a reporter from Goma asked whether the U.N. peacekeeping mission MONUSCO would withdraw amid deteriorating security in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
"MONUSCO is doing a remarkable work of protection of civilians in other areas of conflict within the DRC," Secretary‑General Gutierrez said, adding that the mission continues to operate outside areas controlled by M23. He said elements of MONUSCO’s work will support monitoring tasks established under the Doha agreements.
A separate speaker at the briefing said decades of conflict in eastern DRC have produced approximately 5,700,000 displaced people and about 21,000,000 people needing vital assistance. Gutierrez said the international community must close the 2025 funding gap for the mission and provide predictable support for the remainder of the mandate.
Context and next steps: Gutierrez stressed that MONUSCO's future role will be shaped by international and national agreements and by donor funding. He urged partners to ensure predictable financing so the mission can carry out civilian‑protection and stabilization tasks; no withdrawal schedule or formal decision was announced at the briefing.