DRC: United Nations (UN) extends MONUSCO mission. On Friday, December 20, the United Nations Security Council voted in favor of resolution 2765 to extend for one year the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known as MONUSCO.

The resolution was submitted by France and Sierra Leone and was unanimously adopted by the members of the council at their meeting at the headquarters in New York, United States of America.

The representative of Mozambique said that he voted for this resolution to demonstrate his country’s commitment to restoring peace in the eastern part of the DRC when diplomatic efforts had not yielded results.

The leader told CNN that the Maputo government welcomed the implementation of the resolution and encouraged the implementation of cooperation with the DRC government and MONUSCO.

The Washington government also requested that the Luanda process continue as part of implement a monitoring plan to silence the gunfire in eastern DRC.

The US representative concluded by saying: “Efforts are being made to sow the seeds of lasting peace in the DRC.”

The former US representative also called on the leaders of the DRC and Rwanda to meet again under the auspices of the mediator in these talks and the President of Angola to reach an agreement.

MONUSCO troops are on a peacekeeping mission in the DRC, battling M23, which has taken control of various parts of the DRC.

The forests of the DRC are home to many armed groups, which are also causing insecurity in the DRC, although the group at the forefront these days is M23. The DRC government recently announced that they will not hold talks with M23 because they consider it an insult to M23.

The conflict between the DRC and M23 is being resolved through ongoing talks between the leaders of the DRC, Rwanda and M23, especially Angola, which is acting as a mediator between the two sides.