Armed Groups’ Activities in Democratic Republic of Congo Intensifying Conflict, Worsening Humanitarian Crisis, Special Envoy Tells Security Council
The security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo remains alarming, with the 23 March Movement (M23) rebel group and other armed groups intensifying the conflict and deepening the humanitarian situation, the UN’s top official in the region informed the Security Council today.
Huang Xia, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region, presenting the Secretary-General’s report, “Implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region” (document S/2024/700), voiced concern that the M23 group continued to spread terror and now controlled more land than it did in 2012. Attacks on civilians by the Allied Democratic Forces in Ituri and North Kivu provinces also sparked devastating consequences, including massive new displacements, making the Democratic Republic of the Congo the second country in the world with the most displaced persons after Sudan. Renewed diplomatic and humanitarian efforts were needed in response to this “sad record which should speak to all of us”, he said.
Despite this sombre picture, he highlighted an “area of hope”, where, during his last visit to Bujumbura, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa and Luanda, he saw first-hand that the recent peace talks under the Luanda process were encouraging, and that the 30 July ceasefire reached under the auspices of Angola was largely respected. “The path to a final agreement is long and strewn with pitfalls”, he said, commending regional groups for their efforts and urging the Council to ensure the ceasefire holds. The ingredients to tangible results were in the 2013 Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, particularly the commitment to not support regional armed groups, he added.
Sarah Kyabu Ntambwe, Executive Director, Change Your World, invited Council members to close their eyes and imagine that a 40‑year‑old woman stood before them, after receiving a few necessities. “She tells you, ‘Nothing I receive can ease my pain; not only was I raped before my children’s eyes, their father was killed before them’ […] Now, imagine that this woman is your mother, your sister, your spouse,” she said, adding that she stood before the Council, not just as a young Congolese human rights defender, but also as a representative of this woman who begged her to come to the Council and express her demand for peace. All those who were affected by the cycle of war and conflict were united around a single request: “The war must end, and it must end now.”
To achieve this, Ms. Ntambwe underlined the need to listen to the most vulnerable voices on the ground, “the first to be victimized, to be raped, killed and incorporated into armed groups”. She also called on the leaders involved in the Luanda process to put forth concrete solutions to overcome challenges faced by civil society representatives, particularly agents of peace at the local level. The present disconnect between affected people and high-level diplomacy thwarts local ownership and the chances to reach a lasting peace agreement. "The peace process for us is a glimmer of hope. Every day we dream of living in a better world, a world in which the music of bombing and the wailing of those who have passed will no longer be heard,” she said.
In the ensuing discussion, Council members were near-unanimous in commending Angola’s facilitated peace talks between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while urging parties to uphold the 30 July ceasefire agreement. However, many speakers voiced alarm over the worsening security situation, with some drawing attention to ongoing human rights violations and abuses by armed groups, as well as consequent mass displacements.
Among them was the United States’ delegate, who said his country has provided more than $893 million in humanitarian assistance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2024 in response to the plight of 7 million internally displaced persons. The United States will continue to pursue sanctions against individuals and entities who threaten security in that country, he emphasized, urging Member States to join in that process.
Upholding mutual diplomatic commitments should incorporate genuine measures to end State relations with illegal armed groups, said the Russian Federation’s representative, warning that “unless this is achieved, the subregion will once again face the threat of a resumption of armed conflict with the involvement of M23 and other armed groups.”
Several speakers highlighted the need to incentivize fighters to engage in the process of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, with China’s delegate calling for international financial and technical support to the recently launched disarmament, demobilization and reintegration group to help more ex-combatants obtain livelihoods and return to a normal life. Similarly, Japan’s delegate pointed out that the process, while essential to reduce the threat posed by such groups, is painstaking and requires a comprehensive national and regional approach based on the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
Many Council members focused on regional diplomatic efforts, including the Republic of Korea’s representative and Sierra Leone’s delegate, also speaking for Algeria, Guyana and Mozambique. Welcoming the 30 July ceasefire agreement, Sierra Leone’s delegate called on the Congolese Government to operationalize the Nairobi process, and urged both the Congolese and Rwandan Governments to resolve their differences peacefully. “Addressing the root causes of regional conflicts should remain at the forefront of any engagement,” he stressed.
In a similar vein, France’s representative recalled that on the sidelines of the recent Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie Summit in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame to encourage them to continue negotiations and conclude an agreement as soon as possible to establish a lasting peace. To that end, swift progress is needed to implement the commitments made under the Luanda process, whether that be the withdrawal, cantonment and disarmament of the M23 and Rwandan forces, or the plan to dismantle the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR).
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s representative called on parties to produce detailed action plans outlining how and when the commitments made under the Luanda process will be met, and to begin their implementation. He voiced concern about reports of ceasefire violations, while negotiations continued, and stressed that all parties to the conflict, including non-State actors, must commit to de-escalation.
For her part, Malta’s representative commended the development of the Great Lakes Regional Gender Barometer, while urging countries in that region to uphold freedom of speech and media. Ecuador’s delegate concurred, stressing the need for women and young people to be involved in peace processes.
Many speakers drew attention to the role of illicit exploitation of natural resources in fuelling the conflict, including Slovenia’s representative, who called for ensuring transparency in the mining sector through the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region Regional Certification Mechanism. “Natural resources should drive sustainable development, yet too often continue to fuel conflict and instability,” she declared.
Similarly, the representative of Switzerland, Council President for October, speaking in her national capacity, spotlighted the High-Level Regional Forum of Women of the Great Lakes Region, slated for 18 and 19 October in Luanda, underscoring that it was a significant opportunity to strengthen women and girls’ participation in peace processes. She also stressed the importance of transparent governance of natural resources and combatting illegal activities that fuel conflicts, encouraging mineral transit and destination countries to commit to responsible supply chains by improving mineral traceability.
Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Francophonie of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said that 12 years since the signing of the Addis Ababa Framework Agreement, all the meetings and reports had yielded no concrete result. The present — and deteriorating — crisis is due to “bad faith on the part of some”, she said, adding that her country had signed the agreement and upheld its commitments, while others flouted theirs.
Voicing alarm over the staggering humanitarian crisis, she deplored the continuing presence in her country of 4,000 soldiers of the Rwanda Defence Force, and their undermining of State authority in places they occupied, including Rutshuru. On the 2022 Luanda process, which included the plan to neutralize the FDLR, she said there was an “imbalance”, with Rwanda responding to her country’s concrete plan with a promise without guarantees or details. As well, she deplored Kigali’s “dogged refusal to face the light of justice”, reiterating her country’s request for a regional justice mechanism to address the M23’s flagrant violations of international law over the past twelve years.
Countering that, Rwanda’s delegate, asserting that the M23 are largely Congolese citizens and not from Rwanda, urged Kinshasa to own up to what should be an internal crisis. As well, it must disengage with the FDLR — “a genocidal terrorist armed group that poses an existential threat to Rwanda”. Meanwhile, the Council must condemn and call out that Government for hiring foreign mercenaries and amassing foreign troops, which, along with ethnic persecution, fuel instability in the region.
Detailing the pivotal role of the FDLR in creating several other armed groups, he said its neutralization and complete disengagement with the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) is key to finding a sustainable solution to the conflict in the eastern part of the country. Noting the ongoing support and financing of the FDLR by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he called on the Council to hold accountable all actors engaged in mineral exploitation, illegal tax collection and other illicit activities. “This money is funnelled to FARDC officers and local leaders, creating an economy of conflict that undermines peace efforts and perpetuates violence,” he stressed.
Rounding out the meeting, Angola’s representative welcomed the revitalization of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, noting that a draft action plan will be presented during the twelfth high-level summit of the Regional Oversight Mechanism. Angola’s President, João Lourenço, has spared no effort to undertake a diplomatic initiative to promote peace and stability, he announced, adding that the next ministerial meetings between “our two brother countries” will take place in Luanda in a few days. Quoting President Lourenço, he said: “We have learned from our own conflict that there is no peace without dialogue and no peace without concessions on both sides. This is a path that cannot be neglected in the context of all efforts to resolve the serious security crises facing the world today.”