KINSHASA, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), known as MONUSCO, has said that it supports a ceasefire monitoring mechanism agreed in Qatar-facilitated talks between the DRC government and the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group.
The statement late Tuesday came a day after representatives of the M23 and envoys from Kinshasa met in Doha under Qatari mediation, with officials from the United States, the African Union, and MONUSCO attending as observers, in renewed diplomatic efforts to contain persistent fighting in eastern DRC.
Qatar, which has served as mediator between the DRC government and the rebel group since March 2025, said the two sides reached an agreement on detailed terms of reference to operationalize a mechanism to monitor and verify a "permanent" ceasefire.
In a statement, MONUSCO reiterated its call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, recalling that under U.N. Security Council Resolution 2808, the mission is explicitly mandated to support the implementation of a permanent ceasefire.
MONUSCO also welcomed the sustained engagement of Qatar, the United States, the African Union and its mediator, the East African Community, the Southern African Development Community, and other partners, urging them to maintain and strengthen their support for peace and security efforts in eastern DRC.
According to the statement, the U.N. mission has reinforced its internal preparedness to support the ceasefire monitoring and verification architecture in a progressive and adaptable manner.
"MONUSCO stands ready to support a credible ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism, within the limits of its mandate defined by the Security Council and in full respect of the sovereignty of the DRC," said Vivian van de Perre, deputy special representative of the U.N. secretary-general and acting head of MONUSCO.
Qatari officials have said MONUSCO would monitor and verify a ceasefire in Uvira, a strategic city near the border with Burundi that briefly fell under M23 control in early December 2025 before the armed group withdrew and Congolese government forces retook the city.
No further operational details have been disclosed.
The M23 seized the eastern city of Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province, in January 2025, and Bukavu, the capital of the South Kivu province, the following month. In recent days, clashes have been reported near the town of Minembwe in South Kivu province, according to local sources. ■