Beni, September 23rd, 2026 (CPA).- The head of MONUSCO, James Swan, on a working visit on Wednesday to Beni, Nord-Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, called for continued high vigilance and a strengthened response to Ebola, as the number of cases continues to rise in the Greater North.
“We discussed the Ebola situation, as the number of cases continues to rise in the Greater North. In light of these developments, we must maintain a high level of vigilance and continue to strengthen our response,” has said James Swan, emphasising the need for greater mobilisation in the face of the evolving epidemic. This came following his meeting with the Deputy Governor of Nord-Kivu, Divisional Commissioner Louis Segond Karawa.
James Swan gave assurances that, under the leadership of the Congolese government, the United Nations system – together with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and humanitarian partners – remains fully mobilised to support the response and help contain the outbreak. The UN official also paid tribute to the healthcare workers on the front line, commending their work “in particularly difficult conditions”.
This mobilization, he said, forms part of efforts to contain the epidemic and support the Congolese authorities and the affected communities. James Swan thus reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations system, through the WHO and humanitarian partners, to support the response led by the Congolese government.
The threat posed by the Allied Democratic Forces is a cause for extreme concern
Discussions between the head of MONUSCO and the deputy governor of North Kivu also focused on the security situation in Beni and the Far North. James Swan specifically raised the threat posed by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which he described as “a cause for extreme concern”. According to him, the civilian population continues to pay a heavy price as a result of attacks leading to forced displacement and persistent insecurity.
In the face of this threat, the Head of MONUSCO emphasised the need to strengthen early warning mechanisms, information-sharing and operational coordination between MONUSCO, the FARDC and the Congolese security forces. He has noted that nearly 4,900 joint patrols with the FARDC were carried out between January and September 2026 in the Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) sector, where six mobile operational bases are currently deployed to bolster the force’s presence and response capacity. CPA ACP/