Gambiaj.com – (KINSHASA, D.R. Congo) – Just two years after discussions began on the gradual withdrawal of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), the Security Council is now preparing to renew its mandate, reflecting a sharp deterioration in the security situation in the country’s east.
Diplomatic discussions are underway in New York, with a resolution expected to be adopted by December 21.
The move comes against a particularly tense backdrop marked by renewed offensives by the AFC/M23 rebellion, which UN officials and several member states say is supported by Rwanda, as well as Kigali’s increasingly open distrust of MONUSCO.
In recent months, nearly all members of the Security Council have reaffirmed their support for the UN mission, despite earlier calls for a phased drawdown. Most Council members have also publicly endorsed ongoing peace initiatives led by Doha and Washington, which are now set to play a central role in MONUSCO’s future mandate.
According to diplomatic sources, the draft mandate under consideration will place strong emphasis on supporting these peace processes.
France, acting as penholder on the file, has circulated a draft resolution that seeks to reposition MONUSCO as a key support actor in all diplomatic and security efforts aimed at de-escalation.
Speaking at the UN, the French representative said the mission would be tasked, among other responsibilities, with monitoring any potential ceasefire agreements that may emerge from the Doha and Washington-led talks.
However, diplomats acknowledge that for MONUSCO to effectively play this role, several conditions must be met.
These include strengthening the mission’s operational capacity, improving its mobility across difficult terrain, and, critically, ensuring that it operates as a genuinely neutral force free from external interference.
The United States has strongly backed this approach. US representatives at the United Nations have pledged to ensure that MONUSCO is equipped with the necessary capabilities to support the peace agreements brokered by Doha and Washington.
This position has been consistently defended since March by Ambassador Dorothy Shea, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, who underscored Washington’s stake in the mission’s success. “As the main financial contributor to MONUSCO, the United States has a major interest in its effectiveness,” she said.
For his part, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has insisted that the renewed mandate strictly adhere to Resolution 2773 of 2025.
That resolution calls on the Rwandan Defence Force to immediately cease support for the M23 and to withdraw from Congolese territory without preconditions. It also stresses the need for the neutralization of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
As the Security Council moves toward a decision, the renewal of MONUSCO’s mandate underscores a broader reassessment of international engagement in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as regional tensions rise and hopes for a negotiated settlement hinge increasingly on the success of fragile peace efforts.
