MONUSCO Mandate Renewal: United States Reaffirms Support to UN Mission in DRC

Kinshasa - A few days ahead of the renewal of MONUSCO’s mandate scheduled for December 20, 2025, the United States reiterated its strong support for the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo before the Security Council on December 12.

The US emphasized the need to equip MONUSCO with sufficient capacity to support the implementation of the Doha and Washington peace processes. The representative denounced the obstruction of MONUSCO’s work in Goma, occupied since early 2025 by the M23, accusing the Rwandan-backed rebellion of hindering the mission’s freedom of movement, supplies, and operational effectiveness, including through surface-to-air missiles and communications jamming operations.

He described as “regrettable hypocrisy” the support given by a Security Council member state to groups obstructing a UN peacekeeping mission, while reaffirming the United States’ commitment to agreements aimed at ending violence in eastern DRC.

Several other Council members, including France, China, Russia, and the United Kingdom, also advocated for the renewal and strengthening of MONUSCO’s mandate, particularly to support the ceasefire and help ease tensions between the DRC and Rwanda.