By AFP

The UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo said on Wednesday that it had signed a withdrawal plan for its troops in the nation, without offering details about a timeline. 

In a statement, the peacekeeping mission, known as Monusco, said that it had “co-signed a note on the accelerated, gradual, orderly and responsible withdrawal” from the country. 

The note contains a plan and timeline for the withdrawal, but the peacekeeping mission offered few details beyond saying that it will be implemented in three phases. 

Read: Tshisekedi calls for withdrawal of UN peacekeepers

Monusco is one of the world’s largest and costliest UN peacekeeping missions, with an annual budget of around $1 billion.

Peacekeepers have been present in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1999 but militia violence has continued to plague the east of the country.

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Dozens of armed groups are active in eastern DRC, a legacy of regional wars that flared in the 1990s and 2000s.

Monusco’s current 14,000-strong peacekeeping force is deeply unpopular due to perceptions that it has done little to stop violence. 

The Congolese government has requested Monusco’s “accelerated” departure.

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