Amid persistent hostilities between government forces and the Rwandan-backed AFC/M23 rebellion, which controls significant areas of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) has reiterated its commitment to facilitating various ongoing peace initiatives. These efforts, including the Washington Agreement and the African Union-supported Doha process, aim to restore lasting peace and stability across eastern DRC.

James Swan, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and head of MONUSCO, confirmed this position on Thursday, July 2nd. His remarks followed a meeting at the Ministry of Defense with Guy Kabombo, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense and Former Combatants. Swan highlighted that MONUSCO has bolstered the operational and logistical capabilities of the enhanced Joint Verification Mechanism (MCVR+). This initiative underscores MONUSCO’s dedication to supporting regional endeavors for peace and stability in eastern DRC.

“Since December 2025, following United Nations Security Council Resolution 2808, we have been entrusted with a renewed mandate to support the ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism,” stated the head of the UN mission after the discussion. “We addressed our ongoing efforts to implement this mandate and how we intend to collaborate with the Ministry of National Defense and Former Combatants to achieve MONUSCO’s objectives.”

With urgent calls from various DRC partners, notably during the Washington Agreement review meeting in London and recent discussions at the UN Security Council, for the swift deployment of the inaugural ceasefire verification mission in the country’s east, MONUSCO’s chief affirmed the mission’s readiness. He clarified that the organization is now merely awaiting the official designation of sites for these crucial verification operations.

“MONUSCO has already been instrumental in implementing the Joint Verification Mechanism Plus (MCVE+). Under our mandate, we are responsible for providing logistical support and security oversight for MCVE+ activities,” James Swan assured. “Following additional requests, we have delivered logistical assistance and are actively planning to support missions at identified ceasefire monitoring sites. We are prepared to deploy as soon as the mechanism determines which locations to visit.”

Furthermore, the MONUSCO head and the Deputy Prime Minister for National Defense also reviewed other facets of the UN mission’s mandate. James Swan emphasized the critical need to strengthen cooperation among MONUSCO, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC).

“MONUSCO maintains close collaboration with the Ministry of National Defense and Former Combatants, as well as with DRC authorities,” James Swan explained. “Given that MONUSCO still comprises over 8,000 military personnel and works in strong partnership with the FARDC, particularly in the Grand Nord and Ituri regions, I wanted to share some of our activities with the Minister and reiterate our core mandates, which include civilian protection, efforts in disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of armed groups, and our support for security sector reform.”

This high-level meeting followed appeals from the United States and other DRC partners, made just days after the London gathering for the sixth session of the Joint Monitoring Committee (CMS). That particular session focused on overseeing the implementation of the Washington Agreement, an accord designed to restore peace and security throughout the Great Lakes region, with a specific emphasis on the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Following these discussions, Kinshasa and Kigali reaffirmed a series of commitments aimed at expediting the implementation of agreements between the two nations. According to a final communiqué released by the U.S. State Department, both parties pledged to “request an adjustment to the mandate of the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus (EJVM+) to incorporate the verification of commitments made under the Washington Agreements.”

The DRC and Rwanda further agreed to “support the rapid deployment of the EJVM+ for its inaugural verification mission,” while simultaneously “urging all stakeholders on the ground to back this crucial initiative.”

Moreover, both nations committed to “establishing political and security conditions conducive to joint verification processes,” a prerequisite deemed essential for the effectiveness of the peace mechanisms.

In accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2808 (2025), MONUSCO is mandated to support the implementation of a permanent ceasefire. This support primarily involves providing technical and logistical assistance to the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) through the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus (EJVM+).