UN Deploys to Eastern DR Congo to Prepare Ceasefire Mission
Last update: February 24, 2026
Disclaimer: This website may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you click on the link and make a purchase. We only recommend products or services that we personally use and believe will add value to our readers. Your support is appreciated!
Joint assessment aims to lay groundwork for permanent ceasefire in conflict‑hit region.
A team of UN peacekeepers arrived in the flashpoint eastern Democratic Republic of Congo town of Uvira on Tuesday to prepare the deployment of a ceasefire monitoring mission, the force said.
CBI News reports that eastern DR Congo has endured three decades of conflict and is facing renewed violence after the 2021 resurgence of the M23 armed group, which is backed by Rwanda and its army.
The M23 seized large areas in the east and launched an offensive in December on Uvira, a strategic town in South Kivu province near the Burundi border.
The attack drew condemnation from the United States, which has mediated a fragile peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda.
That agreement provided for the UN’s DRC peacekeeping mission MONUSCO to carry out a field monitoring operation aimed at implementing a permanent ceasefire.
On Tuesday, MONUSCO and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, a regional grouping of surrounding countries, said they had deployed a joint exploratory and preliminary assessment mission to Uvira.
Scheduled to run until Friday, the mission will assess access, security, logistics and engagement needs, MONUSCO said.
The statement called the operation an essential step toward deploying the future joint ceasefire monitoring mechanism.
In January, the M23 withdrew its last troops from Uvira, saying it was responding to a US request, while the Congolese army said it had regained control of the town.
