The UN peacekeeping mission in Democratic Republic of Congo says that it had signed a withdrawal plan for its troops in the central African nation, without offering details about a timeline.

In a statement, the peacekeeping mission, known as Monusco, said on Wednesday that it had "co-signed a note on the accelerated, gradual, orderly and responsible withdrawal" from the country.

Monusco is one of the world's largest and costliest UN peacekeeping missions, with an annual budget of around $1B.

Peacekeepers have been present in the DRC since 1999 but militia violence has continued to plague the east of the country.

Dozens of armed groups are active in eastern DRC, a legacy of regional wars that flared in the 1990s and 2000s.

Monusco's current 14,000-strong peacekeeping force is deeply unpopular due to perceptions that it has done little to stop violence.

The Congolese government has requested Monusco's "accelerated" departure.