In September last year, DRC President, Felix Tshisekedi, asked the mission to fast-track the withdrawal of peacekeepers who were deployed to the Central African country to quell insecurity caused by armed groups fighting over territory and resources.

The first phase of the withdrawal, in South Kivu province, was completed on June 25, DRC's Ambassador to the UN, Zenon Mukongo Ngay, said this Monday. It had been scheduled for completion by April.

Ngay indicated that conditions had not yet been met for the next phase, however, blaming neighbouring Rwanda for an escalation of clashes in the restive east of DRC. "In view of Rwanda's continued aggression in North Kivu, the next phase of withdrawal, phase 2, will be undertaken when conditions allow, following ongoing joint assessments," he said in a speech at the UN Security Council.

DRC and the United Nations have long accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel group, allegations Kigali has denied.

Bintou Keita, Head of the UN mission, said there was "no timeline" for a withdrawal from North Kivu or Ituri provinces. "Don't ask me what's next," Keita told reporters at the UN in New York this Monday. "What's next, as we said, (is) we pause, we prepare, and we see what comes next based on the reality on the ground."

DRC's Foreign Minister, Therese Wamba Wagner, said the government wanted to avoid creating a security vacuum. "When it comes to North Kivu, we will take into account the developments that we see on the ground before making responsible decisions and starting this process when the most favourable conditions are met," she told reporters in Kinshasa.

--Reuters--