UN Mission Chief Arrives in DR Congo

The acting head of the United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Vivian van de Perre, arrived in Goma on Thursday, marking the first UN flight into the city since it fell under the control of the M23 armed group more than a year ago.

Van de Perre landed in the eastern city aboard a UN helicopter, in what the mission described as an important milestone after a prolonged interruption of air access.

She stated that her visit to Goma aimed to support preparations for ceasefire monitoring and verification efforts.

M23 rebels captured Goma in January last year during a rapid offensive across the mineral-rich eastern region, an escalation that left thousands dead. 

The area has endured three decades of instability and has been a focal point of renewed violence since the Rwanda-backed M23 resurfaced in 2021.

Goma’s international airport has remained closed since intense fighting broke out there during the battle for control of the city. 

Although the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, has maintained its bases in Goma following the takeover and continues to deploy around 8,000 troops across eastern DRC, it has been unable to operate through the airport.

Earlier this week, the UN indicated it planned to use Goma airport to facilitate the deployment of the ceasefire monitoring team to Uvira.

Meanwhile, Angola, which has recently renewed its mediation role in the conflict,  has proposed a fresh ceasefire between Congolese government forces and M23 rebels starting Wednesday.