A United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) delegation has visited the city of Goma in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to assess the safety of children following a drone strike that killed three people, including a humanitarian worker with the agency.
The delegation, led by UNICEF’s West and Central Africa Regional Director, Gilles Fagninou, met with AFC/M23 political coordinator Corneille Nangaa and his deputy, Bertrand Bisimwa, to review the security situation in the aftermath of the March 11 attack.
The rebel movement, which controls Goma, has accused the Congolese government coalition of carrying out the strike in violation of a ceasefire agreed last year.
Fagninou arrived in Goma from Kinshasa, where he had held talks with senior government officials.
In a statement after the meeting, AFC/M23 said the visit aimed to “assess the humanitarian situation in areas liberated and administered” by the group.
The movement said the visit came in a context “marked by tragic events that deeply affected the humanitarian community,” citing the death of Karine Buisset, a French national who worked for UNICEF.
It also accused the government coalition of “massacres of civilians” and “indiscriminate bombings in densely populated areas.”
“In response to this reality, AFC/M23 reaffirmed its willingness to cooperate with international partners to ensure an environment conducive to humanitarian action,” the statement said.
The group added that the UNICEF delegation observed efforts to protect civilians, particularly children.
“Clear guarantees were given regarding humanitarian access, the safety of humanitarian actors, and the protection of civilian populations, particularly children and women,” the statement added.
AFC/M23 reiterated its commitment to supporting these efforts by fostering a climate of security and cooperation with international partners, describing stabilization as “a process to be reinforced, in a logic of sustainability and shared responsibility.”
