KINSHASA – The UN will soon send a mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s volatile east to help enforce a ceasefire that has been breached despite peace agreements, mediator Qatar said on Tuesday.

The announcement came a day after a meeting in Doha between representatives of the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group and envoys from Kinshasa.

Officials from the United States, the African Union, and the UN mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) were present as observers.

At the meeting, the two sides agreed on the arrangements to establish a monitoring mechanism for a “permanent” ceasefire, the Qatari foreign ministry said in a statement.

An intervention by MONUSCO was included in agreements concluded in recent months aimed at ending the conflict.

The M23 seized the major cities of Goma in January 2025 and Bukavu the following month.

Qatar has been mediating between Kinshasa and the M23 for several months. A ceasefire commitment was signed in July.

An agreement was also ratified in early December in Washington by the DRC and Rwanda. These have failed to end the fighting.

In recent days, clashes have occurred near the town of Minembwe in South Kivu province, according to local sources.

According to Qatar, MONUSCO will monitor and verify a ceasefire in the city of Uvira.

Uvira, a strategic city of several hundred thousand inhabitants on the border with Burundi, fell to the M23 and its Rwandan allies following a swift offensive in early December.

After about 10 days, the armed group withdrew, allowing the Congolese armed forces to retake Uvira.

In a statement, MONUSCO said it had strengthened internal preparedness to support the ceasefire process and would be transparent about the nature of its support.

 -Nampa/AFP