The head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bintou Keita, visited Goma on Thursday for the first time since the city was seized by the Rwanda-backed M23 movement.

During her three-day visit, Keita will meet with members of M23 and the AFC alliance to discuss MONUSCO’s mandate priorities, particularly civilian protection.

In a statement, she expressed solidarity with the people of Goma and UN staff, praising their resilience. M23 captured Goma and later Bukavu earlier this year, establishing governing structures in the territories it controls.

"I'm here to listen to and express my solidarity with the people of Goma and with MONUSCO personnel. Your resilience is remarkable," the statement said.

Eastern DRC, rich in natural resources and bordering Rwanda, has faced persistent violence for over 30 years, with renewed conflict since M23 launched a fresh offensive in late 2021. Bintou Keita’s visit to Goma comes ahead of her scheduled briefing to the UN Security Council on June 27, MONUSCO spokesperson Sakuya Oka told AFP.

Some diplomatic channels open

The UN peacekeeping mission, active in the DRC since 1999, began its phased withdrawal last year, starting with the eastern province of South Kivu. Rwanda denies supporting M23 militarily but claims its security is threatened by armed groups in eastern DRC, particularly the FDLR, which includes former Hutu leaders involved in the 1994 genocide. The capture of Goma and Bukavu in January further deteriorated already tense relations between Rwanda and the DRC.

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Rwanda officially withdrew from the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC) on Sunday, criticizing what it described as the organization’s growing bias toward the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The move followed a decision by CEEAC leaders to extend Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo's leadership of the bloc for another year, despite Kigali being slated to assume the rotating presidency.

Despite mounting tensions, some diplomatic channels remain open, and talks continue between the DRC and the M23 group, as well as between Kinshasa and Kigali.

Last week, Qatari mediators submitted a peace proposal to both the Kinshasa government and M23 following negotiations hosted in Doha. Meanwhile, as part of a US-led peace initiative, Rwanda announced that a final agreement aimed at resolving the conflict with the DRC is expected to be signed in mid-June in Washington.

M23 rebels executed civilians in Goma, including woman, child: HRW

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels executed at least 21 civilians over two days in February in the eastern Congolese city of Goma, according to a report published Tuesday by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The report details incidents that occurred on February 22-23 in the Kasika neighborhood, offering a stark glimpse into the escalating violence that has defined the latest phase of the long-running conflict in eastern Congo.

According to HRW, the victims included six men and one woman who were shot in the head near the Katindo military camp in Goma on February 22. The organization cited a witness who identified M23 rebels as the perpetrators.

In another incident, less than 100 meters from the camp, bodies were found dumped at a construction site. Among the dead was a 15-year-old boy who had been taken from his home and later discovered lifeless at the site, according to a relative and a neighbor interviewed by HRW.

In its report, HRW called for accountability and action against the perpetrators of the crimes, saying, "Commanders and combatants who directly ordered or carried out abuses should be held criminally accountable." 

Late in May, Amnesty International released a report accusing M23 of committing war crimes in eastern DRC, including unlawful killings, torture, enforced disappearances, and the taking of civilians as hostages.