UN's Swan and Huang Xia Meet Kagame in Kigali on Eastern DRC Security Ahead of MONUSCO Mandate Review

MONUSCO chief James Swan, who succeeded Bintou Keita in April 2026, and UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Huang Xia met Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Kigali on Sept 2 as part of a regional tour that also stopped in Burundi and Uganda, a day after the two envoys met Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe. Rwanda's presidency said discussions focused on "the necessity of addressing the deep-rooted causes of conflict" in eastern DRC and its security impact on Rwanda. The visit came amid friction between Kigali and MONUSCO over FDLR repatriation verification: Nduhungirehe said 81 people MONUSCO had repatriated to Rwanda as ex-FDLR combatants were later found to be Congolese civilians with no Rwandan origin. Swan is due to brief the UN Security Council in the run-up to MONUSCO's mandate renewal in December 2026.