Demokratische Republik Kongo

Suspected fighters of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) have killed 16 people in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in attacks that took place as a joint operation by Congolese and Ugandan forces against the armed group is currently under way.

UN peacekeepers in DR Congo have signed an agreement with the country’s armed forces to facilitate joint operations against armed groups troubling the east of the vast nation.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo told the Security Council on Monday that “a lasting solution” to the violence “requires a broader political commitment to address the root causes of conflict.” 

The UN Security Council is expected to renew the mandate of the world body’s peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo during discussions later this month in New York. But as the mission – known by its French acronym MONUSCO – makes plans to draw down and eventually exit the country, discussions on its future must be informed by the needs of Congolese civilians and civil society groups on the ground.

[…] The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and the Ugandan People's Defence Forces (UPDF) have announced joint ground operations in DRC to hunt down ADF rebels, in addition to the joint aerial operation launched on Tuesday morning.

A new attack on the Ivo displaced people’s camp in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday claimed the lives of 22 civilians, an aid worker said. The same camp was attacked less than a week ago when 29 people were killed.

Fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has forced at least 11,000 people to flee to neighbouring Uganda since Sunday night, representing the largest refugee influx in a single day for more than a year, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Tuesday. 

South Kivu Governor Theo Ngwabidje Kasi told reporters on Wednesday that six attackers, two police officers and a soldier were killed in the gun battles.

The Democratic Republic of Congo continues to attract the attention of the United Nations amid fear that the country could relapse to violence ahead of 2023 polls. Last week, the UN Security Council met to analyse the general situation in the DRC. And while the African members called for strengthening of institutions and a restructure of the UN mission operations there, how to deter violations in future remains DRC’s biggest headache.