Congo and the UN sign a deal for peacekeepers to withdraw after more than 2 decades and frustration

By JEAN-YVES KAMALE
Associated Press

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congo’s foreign minister and the head of the U.N. stabilization mission in Congo have signed agreements to end the presence of U.N. peacekeepers after more than two decades. Congo’s president in September called for them to leave a year earlier than planned. While no date was publicly given for the U.N. withdrawal to begin, observers say it’s unlikely to start before Congo’s Dec. 20 presidential election. Eastern Congo has long been overrun by dozens of armed groups seeking a share of the region’s gold and other resources. Frustrated Congolese say that no one is protecting them from rebel attacks.