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GOMA, DR Congo | Xinhua | Vivian van de Perre, acting head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO), met with leaders of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group in Goma on Friday to discuss a ceasefire monitoring mechanism.
The meeting comes as diplomatic efforts intensify to stabilize the country’s volatile east.
Van de Perre arrived on Thursday in the capital of North Kivu province aboard a helicopter, landing at Goma’s airport since the seizure of the city by the rebel group in January 2025 amid deteriorating security conditions. Her visit comes as part of efforts to operationalize a ceasefire monitoring mechanism envisaged within the broader regional peace architecture.
Following talks with Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), a politico-military coalition allied with the M23, the UN official said discussions focused on “the concrete implementation of the ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism in line with the agreement signed by the AFC/M23 and the government of the DRC” under the Doha process.
“It is essential that commitments made in this agreement quickly translate into clear, credible and verifiable operational arrangements on the ground,” she said, adding that MONUSCO is mandated by the UN Security Council to support the implementation of a permanent ceasefire and to participate in verification efforts.
She noted that MONUSCO’s support would be provided gradually, depending on confirmed security arrangements and guarantees for UN personnel and assets, stressing that the mission’s actions would remain strictly within its Security Council mandate.
Speaking to the press on behalf of the AFC/M23, the group’s senior official Benjamin Mbonimpa welcomed MONUSCO’s role, saying it was expected to support the process “with logistical assistance” within the ceasefire verification framework. Mbonimpa noted that UN personnel would enjoy full security in areas under AFC/M23 control, while declining responsibility for areas outside its control.
Mbonimpa also said the group had “not been informed or invited” regarding the ceasefire proposed by Angola as part of regional mediation efforts, while accusing Kinshasa of repeated ceasefire violations on the ground.
In a separate statement released Friday, the Congolese presidency said to have accepted the principle of a ceasefire proposed by Angola, “in a spirit of responsibility and de-escalation” to pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict, reaffirming Kinshasa’s commitment to regional stability and a return to lasting peace.
Angola, which has served as a key mediator in the DRC crisis since 2022, proposed late Wednesday that a ceasefire between the Congolese government and the M23 rebel group take effect on Feb. 18. The proposed date remains contingent on a public declaration of acceptance by the parties, according to Angolan authorities.
However, Kinshasa has yet to clarify whether it agrees to the proposed date for the ceasefire to take effect.
The M23 seized the eastern city of Goma in January 2025 and Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu Province, the following month.
In recent weeks, clashes have been reported near the town of Minembwe in South Kivu, according to local sources. ■
