UNITED NATIONS, May 07 (APP): Several machines, trucks and tank carriers of the Pakistani ‘Blue Helmets’, who formed the bulk of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), began rolling out on Tuesday from the town of Baraka towards Uvira, after the closure of their base at Mushimbakye, according to a report received in New York.

The movement of the equipment belonging to Pakistani peacekeepers was part of the disengagement plan of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), initiated at the beginning of the year.

Top United Nations have praised the professionalism of Pakistani troops who, they said, served the people of D.R. Congo for 20 years with dedication amid difficult challenges.

Since 2003 when they were first deployed, more than 100,000 Pakistani peacekeepers have served in South Kivu, including 31 who have died in the line of duty. For Pakistan that’s the greatest number of Blue Helmets they have lost in the 46 Peacekeeping missions in the 29 countries where they have been deployed.

According to the disengagement plan, in parallel with the withdrawal of UN troops, the DRC government will increase its presence in the areas the Mission is vacating at its request

Tuesday’s report said the pain of separation from the Pakistani troops seems to be “greater among residents, local authorities and humanitarians working in the area” as they bid them farewell.

The Moderator of the local civilian protection network, Yves Ramazan Iwa, said, “On the humanitarian level, there is a very major challenge, because MONUSCO greatly facilitated the transport, particularly of medicines.”

An earlier UN press release had said the Pakistani troops have been engaged in military operations aimed at protecting civilians and maintaining peace and security in South Kivu.

In 2017, together with the Armed Forces of the DRC, it said the Pakistani contingent stopped a coalition of armed groups from taking over the city of Uvira.

In 2018, they pushed back an offensive by armed groups in the Hauts Plateaux of Uvira, protecting more than 120, 000 internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Over the years, the Pakistani Peacekeepers have protected millions of IDPs (internally displaced persons), many of whom have established camps around their bases.