The United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Monusco) has announced that its Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of Mission ad interim, Vivian van de Perre, will travel to Goma to advance preparations for ceasefire monitoring and verification.
In a press release issued Thursday, Monusco said the visit follows consultations with Congolese national authorities and forms part of the Mission’s mandate to support the implementation of a permanent ceasefire.
Van de Perre is expected to arrive at Goma Airport by air today, marking a significant operational development after prolonged disruption of air access to the city since January 2025.
The Mission said the visit will include engagements with relevant counterparts and stakeholders aimed at advancing practical arrangements for the ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism.
“I am going to Goma to support preparations for ceasefire monitoring and verification, in close coordination with the established ceasefire architecture, including the EJVM+,” van de Perre said.
Under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2808 (2025), Monusco is explicitly authorized to support the implementation of a permanent ceasefire, including through technical and logistical assistance to the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) via the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus (EJVM+).
Monusco emphasized that its support will be provided strictly within the scope of its Security Council mandate and in full respect of the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The visit comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions in eastern DRC, following a drone strike on Kisangani Airport that has drawn sharp condemnation from the African Union.
African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf on Thursday expressed deep concern over the attack, which was claimed by the Congo River Alliance/March 23 Movement (AFC/M23).
He said the operation targeted airport infrastructure in a major urban centre and “gravely endanger[ed] civilian populations,” warning that it could constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
In a strongly worded statement, Youssouf said that, in the absence of objective evidence of a strictly military purpose, airport infrastructure retains its civilian status under international law and benefits from full protection.
He added that such acts “may amount to an act of terrorism” under African Union legal instruments, and warned that they could entail individual criminal responsibility for perpetrators and sponsors.
Youssouf called on AFC/M23 to immediately halt hostilities and comply with commitments under ongoing peace initiatives, including the implementation of the Doha Agreement aimed at securing an effective ceasefire and renewed political dialogue.
However, M23 has defended the operation, saying it deliberately targeted what it described as a military drone command centre installed at Kisangani Airport between January 31 and February 1.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka and dated February 3, 2026, the group said the facility was “the main mechanism for the planning, coordination, and execution of deadly operations targeting civilian populations as well as AFC/M23 positions in the liberated areas.”
The group maintained that it would “neutralise these threats at their source” if such actions persisted, but reiterated what it described as its “unwavering and sincere commitment to a peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict.”
The renewed diplomatic and military friction underscores the fragile environment in which Monusco is attempting to operationalise ceasefire monitoring in and around Goma, a strategic city that has been central to successive cycles of conflict in North Kivu.
Van de Perre’s visit is expected to test both the logistical feasibility and political will underpinning the next phase of ceasefire implementation, as regional and international actors push for de-escalation in one of Africa’s most protracted conflict zones.