Goma Airport Should Function Under MONUSCO Control

Goma Airport Should Function Under MONUSCO Control

Placing Goma International Airport under the operational supervision of MONUSCO while restoring full humanitarian and commercial functionality would represent a pragmatic compromise in the current crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Such an arrangement would achieve three objectives simultaneously:

• Protect civilian and humanitarian access
• Address stated security concerns
• Reinforce Congolese sovereignty

This is not a radical proposal. It is a stabilisation mechanism.

Why MONUSCO Control Makes Strategic Sense

MONUSCO is already mandated by the United Nations Security Council to support civilian protection and stabilisation in eastern Congo. It operates aircraft, maintains secure perimeters, and coordinates closely with humanitarian actors.

Transferring temporary operational oversight of Goma airport to MONUSCO while allowing flights to resume would:

1. Remove the airport from contested political control
2. Provide neutral international supervision
3. Enable full humanitarian logistics
4. Prevent misuse for armed activity

If Rwanda's stated objective is neutralising the FDLR, then an airport monitored by a UN peacekeeping mission does not undermine that goal. On the contrary, it introduces transparency and removes suspicion.

MONUSCO control would ensure that:

• No armed group uses the facility
• No illicit military build-up occurs
• Civilian air traffic resumes safely

Security concerns could be addressed through UN inspection protocols, flight monitoring, and coordinated intelligence sharing.

Humanitarian Imperative

Goma is the humanitarian nerve centre of North Kivu. Air access is essential when road corridors become insecure or impassable.

Keeping the airport closed has direct consequences:

• Slowed emergency medical evacuations
• Disrupted food and vaccine supply chains
• Delayed humanitarian staff rotations
• Reduced protection monitoring in displacement camps

These effects harm civilians, not militias.

Reopening the airport under MONUSCO supervision restores life-saving capacity without granting unilateral advantage to any armed actor.

Sovereignty and Neutral Oversight

One of the most sensitive aspects of the crisis is sovereignty. The airport is Congolese infrastructure. Its operation outside effective Kinshasa control raises legal and political questions.

MONUSCO's involvement would not replace Congolese sovereignty. Rather, it would provide neutral stewardship during a period of instability.

This model has precedent in other conflict zones where UN missions have temporarily supported critical infrastructure management to maintain neutrality and civilian protection.

Such an arrangement would:

• Avoid escalation between Kinshasa and Kigali
• Prevent the airport from becoming a bargaining chip
• Reduce accusations of territorial encroachment

Security Logic and Proportionality

If the concern is that reopening Goma airport could allow hostile elements to exploit it, MONUSCO's control addresses that risk.

A UN-supervised airport can operate under:

• Flight pre-clearance procedures
• Cargo inspections
• Coordinated airspace monitoring
• Transparent reporting

Closing the airport entirely is a blunt instrument. It applies collective pressure on civilians without demonstrably weakening the FDLR.

Reopening under UN oversight is a calibrated measure. It balances caution with humanitarian necessity.

Diplomatic Advantages

From a diplomatic perspective, supporting MONUSCO-administered reopening would strengthen Rwanda's stated security narrative rather than weaken it.

It would signal that:

• The objective is stability, not leverage
• Humanitarian access is respected
• International norms are upheld

Opposing such an arrangement would raise questions about motive, because a UN-controlled airport poses minimal security threat.

Economic Stabilisation

Beyond humanitarian access, commercial flights matter.

Goma's economy depends on connectivity. Isolation deepens poverty, fuels unemployment, and increases vulnerability to recruitment by armed groups.

Functioning air transport under MONUSCO oversight would:

• Restore business confidence
• Facilitate trade
• Support recovery of local enterprises

Economic resilience is itself a stabilising factor.

Conclusion

Reopening Goma International Airport under MONUSCO operational control offers a practical and balanced solution.

It protects civilians.
It addresses security concerns.
It preserves sovereignty.
It reduces geopolitical tension.

If the primary objective in eastern Congo is to neutralise armed threats such as the FDLR, then a UN-supervised airport does not obstruct that aim.

Keeping the airport closed harms civilians and weakens regional trust. Allowing it to function under MONUSCO oversight strengthens transparency and stabilisation.

In complex conflicts, compromise mechanisms often provide the path forward. This is one of them.