The United Nations Security Council has voted to extend the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), setting a new end date of 20 December 2026. The decision was taken on Friday, 19 December 2025, at United Nations headquarters in New York. Adopted as Resolution 2808 (2025), the measure renews MONUSCO’s mandate for one year while maintaining its current force levels. These include 11,500 military personnel, 600 military observers, 443 police officers, and 1,270 members of formed police units. The resolution also upholds the missio

The United Nations Security Council has voted to extend the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), setting a new end date of 20 December 2026. The decision was taken on Friday, 19 December 2025, at United Nations headquarters in New York. Adopted as Resolution 2808 (2025), the measure renews MONUSCO’s mandate for one year while maintaining its current force levels. These include 11,500 military personnel, 600 military observers, 443 police officers, and 1,270 members of formed police units. The resolution also upholds the mission’s three core priorities: the protection of civilians, support for disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR), and assistance with security sector reform (SSR). The extension allows MONUSCO to continue operating mainly in eastern DR Congo, despite repeated statements from the Congolese authorities expressing their desire for the mission to leave. Public opposition has also grown, with protests against the peacekeepers reported in several areas. In some incidents, demonstrators attacked and set fire to MONUSCO bases. The UN peacekeeping presence in the DRC began on 30 November 1999 with the establishment of the United Nations Mission in the Congo (MONUC), tasked with addressing armed groups operating across the country. The mission was renamed MONUSCO on 1 June 2010. MONUSCO’s mandate has been renewed annually, even as criticism of its performance has intensified. Critics argue that while only a few armed groups were active at the start of the mission, the number has since risen to more than 200. They also point to the high financial cost of the operation, which has amounted to billions of US dollars over the years. During the 2024/2025 financial year, MONUSCO’s budget stood at 918.4 million US dollars. This marked a reduction of 145.8 million US dollars, largely due to the withdrawal of peacekeeping troops from South Kivu Province in early 2024.

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