Demokratische Republik Kongo

More than 40 people were killed Sunday in an attack by Allied Democratic Forces rebels in northeastern DR Congo, ending a months-long period of regional calm, the UN mission and Congolese military said.

Former Democratic Republic of Congo president Joseph Kabila went on trial in absentia Friday on charges including treason over his alleged support for Rwanda-backed militants.

But Kinshasa will need significant peacebuilding and humanitarian support – and local communities must have some ownership of the process.

An agreement signed by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Congo River Alliance/March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) has been hailed by the UN peacekeeping mission in the country (MONUSCO) as “an important step towards sustainable peace.”

Negotiators from the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 armed group were in Qatar Wednesday for talks on a broader truce, a diplomat with knowledge of the talks told AFP.

Despite its significance, the deal faces criticism for trading Congolese sovereignty for US access to critical minerals, as part of a transactional form of peace mediation. Previous agreements that bargained Rwandan withdrawal in exchange for actions against the FDLR failed after they were repeatedly violated, leading to more violence. 

Rwanda has exercised command and control over M23 rebels during their advance in eastern Congo, gaining political influence and access to mineral-rich territory, according to a confidential report by a group of United Nations experts.

The Security Council today renewed the sanctions regime concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo until 1 July 2026 and extended the mandate of the corresponding Group of Experts until 1 August 2026.

The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have signed a peace agreement brokered by the United States, aimed at ending decades of conflict and promote development in eastern Congo. The deal has provisions on territorial integrity, prohibition of hostilities and the disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration of non-state armed groups. It also paves the way for the US government and American companies to gain access to critical minerals in the region.

[…] The human rights situation in the eastern provinces continued to deteriorate, especially in M23-controlled areas, where restrictions of movement significantly impeded the verification of allegations of human rights violations and abuses