UN says it’s ready to work with Congo on peacekeeper pullout

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations says it’s ready to work on withdrawing peacekeepers on a mission in Congo, which was the target of deadly protests during the summer. The head of the peacekeeping mission says they’re ready to work closely with the government to step up the pace of withdrawal. The U.N. force has over 14,000 troops and police there. Their mission is to protect civilians, deter armed groups, and build the capacity of state institutions and services. But protesters said armed groups were still roaming the east and the U.N. force wasn’t protecting them. The peacekeepers were also accused of retaliating against the protesters, sometimes with force.