Head of UN mission in DR Congo arrives in M23-held city of Goma
Bintou Keita, who is the UN secretary general's special representative, will meet representatives of the armed group and the AFC alliance to which it belongs during her three-day visit, MONUSCO said on X.
Infographic with map showing the advances of the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, including the taking of the mining hub of Walikale, as of March 19. (Photo by AFP)
By AFP .
Journalists @New Vision
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The head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo made her first visit Thursday to the strategic eastern city of Goma since its capture by the Rwanda-backed M23 militia, the UN mission said.
Bintou Keita, who is the UN secretary general's special representative, will meet representatives of the armed group and the AFC alliance to which it belongs during her three-day visit, MONUSCO said on X.
Discussions will include "the priorities of MONUSCO's mandate, notably the protection of civilians", it added.
"I'm here to listen to and express my solidarity with the people of Goma and with MONUSCO personnel. Your resilience is remarkable," it said.
The anti-government M23 launched a lightning offensive at the start of the year, taking control of Goma in late January followed by the city of Bukavu, and has set up to govern the regions under its control.
The resource-rich eastern DRC, bordering Rwanda, has been plagued by violence for 30 years, which has seen a resurgence since the return of the M23 at the end of 2021.
Keita's visit to Goma comes ahead of her briefing to the UN Security Council on June 27, MONUSCO spokesperson Sakuya Oka told AFP.
The UN peacekeeping mission has been in the vast and volatile central African country since 1999 and pulled out of eastern South Kivu province a year ago, in the first stage of its planned full withdrawal.