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Today marks the 50th anniversary
of the Democratic Republic of Congo's independence
Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
landed in the country yesterday
In an interview with Radio Okapi this morning
he said that the celebration was a historic moment for the Congolese
I am here to express
the commitment of the United Nations to the Democratic Republic of Congo
and the willingness of the Organization
to work in partnership with the DRC
for the future of the country
The DRC is a country with an unstable history
of internal conflict, famine and civilian suffering
Over the past half century
tens of thousands of peacekeeping soldiers
and thousands of United Nations staff
have assisted the country during these times
But now the Security Council says
the country has entered a new phase
2000 UN Military staff will leave by the 30th of June
from areas that have been deemed safe
Since the UN arrived in what was then called the Congo 50 years ago
the DRC has experienced some stabilization
Democratic elections have been held
and several state institutions have been created
The protection of civilians will remain the priority
of the UN's renewed mission in the country