Repairs completed without delays
The Kizi TNI Konga XX-W Task Force carried out the assignment from October 12 through November 4, according to the center's November 6 press release. The unit serves with MONUSCO, the UN stabilization mission in the country.
Lieutenant Colonel I Made Dwi Bagus Yudistira, the task force commander, said the work encountered no obstacles. He outlined the benefits he expected from the improvements: "Improvement in airport infrastructure is expected to facilitate people's mobility, distribution of basic needs and humanitarian assistance, and open access to remote areas."
Yudistira also voiced hope that the work would help residents feel safer and support economic growth and better living conditions. He described the assignment as an expression of Indonesia's military diplomacy and its contribution to peace and public well-being worldwide.
A key airport undergoing broader modernization
Mavivi Airport lies on the outskirts of Beni. After the AFC/M23 armed group seized Goma in January 2025, it became North Kivu's main air gateway, MONUSCO's Beni office said in a March 24, 2026, report.
The airport is also the site of a broader modernization project. BANKABLE reported on March 11 that Congolese Infrastructure and Public Works Minister John Banza had officially launched the project in December 2025. Services Vihumbira (SSV) is carrying out the work, which that report described as including a runway extension to about 3,600 meters, with a width of 45 meters.
MONUSCO's March 24 account gave a different planned runway length: an extension from 2 kilometers to 3,300 meters. It also listed plans for a new terminal. At the North Kivu governor's request, the mission provided logistical support consisting of eight trucks, along with drivers and fuel, two excavators and two loaders.
Earlier that month, a fire destroyed the airport's terminal. According to BANKABLE's March 11 report, the blaze broke out on the morning of March 10 in the building, which dated to 2010 and contained the passenger waiting area, check-in counters and RVA administrative offices.
MONUSCO led the firefighting response with its fire trucks, coordinating with Congolese police. Flights continued despite the destruction, with passenger and baggage screening conducted outdoors, BANKABLE reported.
Indonesia's role as MONUSCO reduces staffing
Indonesia sent its latest Garuda Contingent and auxiliary personnel to MONUSCO in June 2025, continuing its participation in the mission. The deployment is expected to support stability and infrastructure development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and reaffirm Indonesia's commitment to peace through UN operations.
Created in 2010, MONUSCO has a mandate that includes civilian protection, help for the Congolese government in stabilizing conflict-affected areas, and assistance with disarming armed groups. The UN says the mission also supports humanitarian aid and human rights. The Security Council extended its mandate through December 20, 2026.
The mission has been reducing its personnel and spending. In report S/2026/208, dated March 19, 2026, the UN secretary-general said MONUSCO had repatriated 1,550 military contingent personnel, 125 military experts, 180 formed police unit personnel and 125 individual police officers. It had also eliminated 694 civilian posts.
The report recorded a 23.4% reduction in uniformed personnel, a 29% reduction in civilian staffing and a 27% cut in operational funding. At the time, MONUSCO had 7,879 troops deployed, compared with an authorized strength of 11,500.
The same report described preparations for a gradual, responsible transition. Discussions were under way about piloting civilian-protection initiatives in Ituri specifically for that transition, with a focus on strengthening provincial institutions.
