France Calls for Reopening of Goma Airport

France has raised the issue of the reopening of Goma International Airport and confirmed that the entire €850 million in emergency humanitarian aid pledged for the Great Lakes region has already been fully disbursed. France took part in a high-level meeting on the coherence and consolidation of the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region, held on January 17, 2026, in Lomé, Togo. The meeting brought together facilitators, including former heads of state, leaders of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), alongside several international partners. It was convened at the initiative of Faure Gnassingbé, African Union mediator for the crisis in eastern DRC. During the discussions, France presented an initial progress assessment on the implementation of financial commitments made at the Paris Conference for Peace and Prosperity in the Great Lakes Region, held on October 30, 2025. Of the €1.5 billion pledged by 70 states and international organizations, all emergency humanitarian funding, amounting to €850 million, has already been released. France reiterated the severity of the humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC, stressing that the funds are intended to meet urgent needs, ensure essential services, and strengthen civilian protection, particularly in areas affected by violence and forced displacement. It also encouraged remaining donors to accelerate their disbursements in the coming weeks. The French authorities further underlined the urgent need to remove humanitarian obstacles, recalling the commitments made in Paris regarding the humanitarian reopening of Goma airport. France expressed its readiness to contribute, alongside its partners and in coordination with the United Nations, to the logistical and coordination efforts required to reopen the airport for humanitarian flights. The Paris Conference aimed to mobilize international support to address the humanitarian emergency in the Great Lakes region while backing mediation efforts led by the United States, Qatar, and the African Union. On the margins of the event, discussions also focused on regional economic integration, described as a key pillar for sustainable peace after decades of instability. At the conclusion of the Paris meetings, two major announcements were made: the mobilization of €1.5 billion in humanitarian aid for the region, and the intention to reopen Goma International Airport, the capital of North Kivu. French President Emmanuel Macron described the reopening of the airport as a concrete and essential signal for the population of North Kivu, calling for swift implementation with the support of international mediators. However, the announcement sparked strong opposition from the AFC/M23 rebel movement. The group rejected any decision by the Kinshasa authorities to reopen the airport, claiming that the infrastructure lies within what it describes as “liberated territory.” The movement accused Congolese authorities of having looted and sabotaged the facility and insisted that only the AFC/M23 could authorize its reopening. In the same statement, the group maintained that the dispute between Kinshasa and Kigali does not concern it, asserting that the Congolese government alone bears responsibility for its relations with neighboring states and should resolve its disputes without involving the movement.