The peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has helped maintain security for more than two decades amid rising rebel violence, is in the process of ending its presence in the central African nation.
The closure of the mission comes at the request of the Congolese government, which was re-elected in a disputed vote in December 2023. Fourteen UN bases are expected to be taken over by DRC security forces, followed by a phased departure of UN forces from North Kivu and Ituri. The government has also directed an African regional force deployed last year to leave the country.