Demokratische Republik Kongo

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have agreed to pause fighting as they work towards a broader peace deal, according to their joint statement.

The ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to have devastating consequences, particularly for women and children, who face an increased risk of conflict-related sexual violence.Senior UN officials warned on Wednesday that all parties involved in the conflict are systematically using sexual violence as a tactic of war against civilians.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has suspended the political party of former President Joseph Kabila and ordered the seizure of his assets, accusing the 53-year-old of high treason over alleged ties to the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group.

Despite numerous regional and international diplomatic initiatives, the security situation remains critical in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Security Council heard on Wednesday. In a briefing to ambassadors, UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region Huang Xia called for increased coordination of peace processes.

Kabila this week announced his intention to leave South Africa, where he has been exiled since December 2023, and address the deteriorating security situation in eastern DRC. His return comes amid accusations from President Felix Tshisekedi that Kabila supports the AFC/M23 rebels responsible for recent military advances, including capturing key cities Bukavu and Goma.

[…] Spokesperson James Elder told reporters in Geneva via video link from Goma that children could account for up to 45 per cent of the nearly 10,000 cases of rape and sexual violence documented in January and February, amid heightened tensions between Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and Government forces across the mineral-rich region, where dozens of armed groups are active. This translates to a horrifying reality – “a child was raped every half an hour,” he said.

Congolese officials and negotiators for the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have arrived in Doha for talks to hammer out a ceasefire and end months of fighting that have raised fears of a wider regional conflict, four sources told Reuters on Thursday.

Some 41,000 refugees have crossed from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) into Uganda since January, many of them having witnessed killings, “sexual violence and other traumatic experience during their flight,” said the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) on Tuesday.

Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with 602 victims of extrajudicial or summary executions in North and South Kivu recorded over just two months, the Human Rights Council heard on Tuesday.

The convicted war criminal, Thomas Lubanga, based in Uganda, has declared the formation of a new rebel movement - the Convention for the Popular Revolution - aimed at overthrowing the government in Ituri province, eastern Congo, posing yet another security threat in the conflict-ravaged region.