The Head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) met with the delegation of the Alliance Fleuve Congo and the March 23 movement (AFC/M23) at the Serena Hotel in Goma on Friday, June 13, 2025. At the end of these exchanges, which lasted several hours, Head of MONUSCO Bintou Keita emphasized the AFC/M23’s willingness to seek a peaceful solution to the conflict in Eastern DRC. She also affirmed MONUSCO’s commitment to initiatives that promote a return to calm.
After more than seven hours of discussions between representatives of the AFC/M23 and the Head of the UN Mission in the DRC, it emerged that the AFC/M23, a rebel movement occupying the cities of Goma and Bukavu as well as a large part of the North and South Kivu provinces, expressed a desire to find a peaceful end to the conflict that led it to take up arms at the end of November 2021. MONUSCO is encouraging all actions likely to lead to a return of peace.
It was Bintou Keita who announced the main points of this meeting to the press at the end of the sessions. “MONUSCO remains committed to supporting all initiatives likely to promote a de-escalation of tensions,” she stated while highlighting the desire for a peaceful resolution to the conflicts expressed by the M23 rebels and their allies during this meeting. “The leaders of the AFC/M23 have expressed their willingness to find a peaceful solution to the crisis,” she added.
Civilians in Goma have said that they want “peace, nothing but peace.” For many residents of the city, this meeting was a sign of the return of peace in this city occupied since January 2025 by AFC/M23 rebels, where a large part of the population struggles to resume their pre-war activities. Residents such as Nabuanja Joseph are happy with Bintou’s visit and message, although they want to wait for firm and clear decisions. “We were expecting a clear message directly linked to the return of peace,” confessed Joseph.
Even in areas under the control of the Congolese army, Bintou Keita’s arrival is a glimmer of hope for the return of peace in the DRC. This is the case for Espoir Mwinuka, an activist from the citizen movement Lutte pour le changement (Fight for Change). “The civilian population and Congolese in general want to see that zones, cities, territories occupied by rebels are completely liberated so that socio-economic life can resume normally,” he said.
Mwinuka deplores the poor living conditions of the population in the areas occupied by the AFC/M23 rebels, particularly their non-respect for human rights. He describes this part of the country as an “open-air prison” and advocates for the return of peace. He does admit, however, that those who fled the atrocities of war last January are struggling in the places where they have relocated. For him, Keita is the remedy for a peaceful solution as soon as possible.
Keita also noted that with the facilitation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Congolese government, AFC/M23, and MONUSCO, 1,359 members of the Congolese armed forces and national police were transferred from Goma to Kinshasa. These soldiers had taken refuge in MONUSCO facilities during the takeover of Goma on January 27 and 28, 2025. They had been cared for by MONUSCO for 90 days before their repatriation to Kinshasa became effective.
For nearly two months, the Congolese government and the M23 rebels have been negotiating in Doha under the mediation of Qatar for a peace agreement. In parallel with the negotiations between the DRC and the AFC-M23, the DRC is holding discussions with Rwanda under the facilitation of Washington.
The negotiations between the Congolese government and the M23 rebels aim to address the root causes of the conflict in order to restore peace and sustainable development. Meanwhile, the discussions between the DRC and Rwanda are being facilitated by Washington. These discussions aim for a peace and cooperation agreement between the DRC and Rwanda for stability and sustainable development not only in the Grand Lake region, but also in the two neighboring countries, which accuse each other of supporting rebellions and destabilizing their national territories.
Keywords: DRC, Goma, M23, AFC, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, conflict, conflict resolution, peace MONUSCO, Bintou Keita
Anicet Kimonyo
Anicet Kimonyo is a Congolese journalist and war reporter based in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the city of Goma in the Province of North Kivu. Since the resurgence of conflicts in the region, he has been involved in media coverage of conflicts in the region and their consequences to the community. His work focuses on issues of democracy, peace and good governance in the region, environmental and climate issues and topics about mining.
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