The deployment came just hours after the confirmed killing of M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma in a Congolese military drone strike in North Kivu, highlighting the widening gap between diplomatic planning and realities on the ground.

MONUSCO said the assessment mission—conducted jointly with the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region—will run through Friday and focuses on access routes, logistical needs, and security conditions required for a future monitoring system. 

Officials called the visit "a foundational step” toward implementing the verification mechanism outlined in the latest ceasefire agreement. Diplomats have long viewed Uvira, positioned along the Burundi border, as a pressure point where rebel advances could disrupt regional trade and heighten international tensions.

Uvira’s security remains precarious despite the M23 withdrawal in January, which the rebels framed as a gesture responding to a U.S. request. The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, however, maintains it restored control through targeted operations. Residents and civil society groups report continuing displacement and inconsistent security patrols, underscoring the challenges facing any future monitoring mission.

Meanwhile, three separate sources—a senior M23 official, a regional diplomat and a Western adviser to Kinshasa—confirmed that Ngoma was killed around 3 a.m. near Rubaya, following several days of sustained army drone activity. Rubaya hosts one of the world’s most important coltan-mining hubs, supplying roughly 15% of global production and providing a critical revenue stream for M23’s military operations. The presidency and armed forces declined to comment.

The strike adds uncertainty to the Qatar-facilitated talks in Doha, where Kinshasa and M23 have agreed to form a joint ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism with the United States and African Union serving as observers. Analysts say the latest escalation may complicate efforts to build trust between the parties before any mechanism becomes operational.