The Blue Helmet mission in eastern Congo is certainly not considered a success, according to President Félix Tshisekedi's assessment. The MONUSCO peacekeepers, part of one of the largest, longest, and most expensive in UN history, are unpopular with the local population. Its successes are barely measurable, Tshisekedi has emphasized repeatedly since taking office as President of the DR Congo in 2019.

Tshisekedi has urged the United Nations to prepare for the step-by-step withdrawal of the Blue Helmets from his country. The withdrawal had been decided: the Blue Helmets already withdrew from South Kivu in June 2024. North Kivu and Ituri provinces were scheduled to follow this year.

However, the M23 rebels' offensive in North Kivu has evidently led to a shift in the Congolese government's stance. Kinshasa has become more cautious: "The withdrawal of the Blue Helmets must happen in a responsible manner", said DR Congo's Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner in a DW interview at the end of 2024.

By the time of this interview, a military offensive by the Rwanda-backed M23 group was already becoming evident. Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner's foresighted words: "We do not want the risks and security problems that will increasingly occur in North Kivu to be worsened by a hasty withdrawal of MONUSCO troops."

The UN Security Council addressed the issue in a special session on Tuesday (January 28, 2025) in New York. During the session, the deputy head of the

© Deutsche Welle