Kinshasa, April 19, 2026: MONUSCO notes with appreciation the progress made in Montreux during the talks held from 13 to 18 April 2026 between representatives of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Congo River Alliance/March 23 Movement (AFC/M23), within the framework of the Doha process, with the facilitation of Qatar, the United States, the African Union, and Switzerland as host.
MONUSCO commends the progress made toward the signing of the Protocol on Humanitarian Access and Judicial Protection and encourages the parties to maintain their commitment so that this agreement can be concluded swiftly, with a view to alleviating the suffering of civilian populations affected by the conflict.
The Mission also takes note of the commitments made by the parties to ensure rapid, safe, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access, in accordance with international humanitarian law, international human rights law and international refugee law, and to uphold the protection of civilians, especially women and children. It further notes their commitment to preserving livelihoods and infrastructure to protect the population’s fundamental rights and support socio-economic recovery.
MONUSCO encourages the parties to fully implement confidence-building measures, including the release and exchange of detainees, with the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which is contributing to this process in accordance with established procedures. The Mission further acknowledges with appreciation the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the parties (the Government of the DRC and AFC/M23) and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), enabling the operationalization of the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus (EJVM+).
Having taken part in the discussions as an observer, MONUSCO reaffirms the importance of a credible, transparent and operational ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism to help contribute to the reduction of violence. Such a mechanism will contribute to strengthening the protection of civilians and supporting the gradual restoration of State authority in eastern DRC.
In line with its mandate, MONUSCO stands ready to support, through its logistical and technical capacities, the initial verification missions of the Ceasefire Oversight and Verification Mechanism (COVM), within the framework of the EJVM+, in support of ongoing peace processes and the objectives set out in resolutions 2773 (2025) and 2808 (2025).
Ceasefire monitoring will require several indispensable conditions to be in place to ensure that the mechanism can operate in a credible, safe and effective manner. These conditions include the cessation of the use of offensive drones, an end to GPS spoofing and jamming, full freedom of movement for MONUSCO personnel and assets, and the safe use of airports and airspace.
The Mission encourages the parties to maintain the current momentum, translate these advances into concrete results on the ground, and continue negotiations on the remaining protocols for the benefit of civilian populations affected by the conflict.
