• Research

When the blue helmets leave: MONUSCO withdrawal from South Kivu province, eastern DRC (June 2024 - November 2025)

This report examines MONUSCO’s June 2024 withdrawal from South Kivu, finding that while the rushed, poorly resourced transition contributed to localized and mostly temporary security deterioration around former bases, the mission had limited influence over the core drivers of regional insecurity (armed groups, elite competition, banditry, and geopolitics); its withdrawal’s more significant impact was indirect, weakening civilian protection, human rights monitoring, and humanitarian access by removing a trusted intermediary and logistical backbone. The report closes with five recommendations for future withdrawals—earlier planning, a localized approach, greater inclusivity, more focused/sustainable support, and better protection planning—drawn from the gaps exposed during South Kivu’s transition.