Minister Nduhungirehe confirms DRC government will have no role in reopening Goma airport

By The Inspirer.

Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, has confirmed that the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will have no role in the reopening of Goma International Airport.

The announcement follows a regional security meeting on the Great Lakes Region held in Paris on October 30, 2025.

During the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron said the Goma airport would reopen within a few weeks and called on Qatar and the United States to provide support to make it possible.

France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, explained that the purpose of the meeting was to accelerate discussions leading to the reopening of the airport.

He added that the final decision would be made during upcoming talks in Doha, Qatar, between the AFC/M23 coalition, which currently controls the area, and the DRC government.

“This international meeting was an opportunity to speed up dialogue on this matter, which will continue under Qatar’s mediation, building on the progress achieved here in Paris,” Barrot said.

On November 1, DRC government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya stated that the country’s civil aviation and airport authorities are the only bodies legally authorized to manage Goma Airport.

Muyaya added that if the AFC/M23 coalition had legitimate authority over the facility, it would have already begun operations there since January, when it first took control.

“Although they are illegally controlling Goma Airport, they have no legal right to decide which planes can land or take off,” Muyaya said.

Responding to those remarks, Minister Nduhungirehe said that before misleading the public, Muyaya should recall that France organized the Paris meeting and clearly indicated that the decision on reopening Goma Airport would be made during the Doha negotiations.

“Moreover, France’s proposal concerning the reopening of Goma Airport does not mention any role for the DRC government. Only MONUSCO and the AFC/M23 coalition will be directly involved,” he stated.

President Macron also announced that, once reopened, Goma Airport will accommodate humanitarian flights twice a week.