The UN Security Council has voted to cut the size of its mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

MONUSCO is the UN’s largest and most expensive peacekeeping mission. There are nearly 20,000 blue-helmet troops there but the vote would reduce that number to little more than 16,200.  Officials  have, however, stressed that the force is already below strength and in practice fewer than 500 will leave the country.

The move comes despite opposition from the International Criminal Court, which has been investigating war crimes in the DRC since 2004.

The United States, which will assume the rotating presidency of the Security Council, has called for a deep review of the strategy behind all the UN peacekeeping missions.

CGTN’s Nick Harper followed the discussions at the UN security council closely and file the following report.