Democratic Republic of the Congo
Historical Chronology

The chairman of the DRC Sanctions Committee, Ambassador R.M. Marty M. Natalegawa (Indonesia), reported to the Council in private consultations on a report of the Group of Experts’ on sanctions in the DRC. 

The International Criminal Court (ICC) reversed its 2 July decision to release Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, leader of the rebel militia Union des patriotes congolais.  Lubanga had been accused of recruiting and using child soldiers. The ICC said that Lubanga should remain in custody until a decision was made on the appeal by the prosecution.

3 July 2008

The Secretary-General reported on the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC), describing the overall security situation as “tenuous”.

21 June 2008

The Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region entered into force on 21 June following its ratification by eight of the 11 core countries of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).

24 April 2008

The security Council's DRC Sanctions Committee decided to remove the name of deceased Congolese businessman Kisoni Kambale from its consolidated assets freeze and travel ban list, but decided to maintain the assets freeze imposed on entities associated with Kambale, Butembo Airlines and Congocom Trading House.

19 June 2008

MONUC reported that while western DRC appeared calm, several ceasefire violations had occurred in eastern DRC, where the conscription of children into armed groups continued. In North Kivu clashes continued between the government army and the FDLR Rwandan Hutu militia.

17 June 2008

MONUC issued its Monthly Assessment Report for April on abuses by militia and government security forces. It said that armed forces and the police were among the main perpetrators of human rights abuses.

13 June 2008

MONUC released a report accusing the Congolese national police of killing prisoners, destroying 200 buildings and looting homes in a violent crackdown on a separatist sect in late February in which at least 100 people died.

The International Criminal Court suspended its first scheduled trial after it appeared that the prosecution had withheld significant exculpatory evidence from the defence. The accused, Thomas Lubanga, a militia leader charged with conscripting child soldiers in eastern Congo could be released or tried at a later date.

7 - 8 June 2008

The Council undertook a mission to the DRC as part of a broader visit to a number of African countries. The mission had questions about the militia disarmament process, the restructuring of the military and the prosecution of human rights violators from the army and the police.

Jean-Pierre Bemba, a former vice-president and leader of the country's main opposition party, the Mouvement de Libération du Congo (MLC), was arrested in Belgium on the basis of an International Criminal Court warrant.

The DRC Sanctions Committee decided to remove the name of Congolese businessman Kisoni Kambale from its consolidated assets freeze and travel ban list.  However, the Committee decided to maintain the assets freeze imposed on entities associated with Kambale, Butembo Airlines and Congocom Trading House. These were separately designated for provision of assistance to illegal armed groups in breach of the arms embargo imposed in 2003 and 2005. The delisting of Kambale, who is reportedly dead, was the first delisting since the DRC Sanctions Committee was set up in March 2004.

The Council adopted resolution 1807 extending the sanctions regime on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) until 31 December.

22 February 2008

The Congolese-Tutsi leader of the rebel National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), renegade General Laurent Nkunda, suspended the CNDP's participation in the peace agreement reached between the DRC government and rebels operating in eastern DRC.

15 February 2008

The Council adopted a resolution rolling over the DRC sanctions regime (arms embargo, aviation restrictions, assets freeze and travel ban) and the mandate of the Group of Experts until 31 March.

6 February 2008

Congolese authorities arrested and transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, a former militia leader charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity in the north-eastern province of Ituri.

23 January 2008

The Group of Experts on the DRC submitted its latest report to the DRC Sanctions Committee, based on six weeks of investigations in the region. Among other issues, the report called for MONUC to strengthen its monitoring capacity in an effort to control arms flowing into the country and for the Kinshasa government to notify the UN of all incoming military shipments.

23 January 2008

Peace agreement is signed between the DRC government and armed rebels groups (including Nkunda's forces and the Mai Mai).  The agreement was silent on the status of renegade General Nkunda.

Security Council adopts resolution extending the mandate of MONUC until 31 December 2008 (S/RES/1794).

Early December 2007

DRC government forces launch major military offensive against those of renegade General Laurent Nkunda in North Kivu.

21 November 2007

The Council issued a presidential statement that commended both the DRC and Rwanda on their agreement of 9 November  and encouraged them to fully implement the commitments agreed to.

9 November 2007

An agreement, facilitated by the UN, was reached between the DRC and Rwanda.  Kinshasa resolved to forcibly disarm and hand over to Kigali members of Hutu militia groups operating in eastern DRC suspected of responsibility for the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

8 November 2007

UN Development Programme coordinator in Ituri, Gustavo Gonzalez, stated that disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of rebel forces and militias in Ituri was proceeding well, with the recent surrender of various commanders. However, he cautioned that urgent action was required on poverty alleviation and state-capacity building to achieve sustainable peace.

6 November 2007

Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the DRC Ross Mountain emphasised that the main perpetrators of sexual violence were members of the FARDC, police and militias.

Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Haile Menkerios, travelled to the DRC, meeting government and military leaders and civil society groups in Goma. The meeting in the DRC was followed by meetings with the Government of Rwanda, and were designed to promote a solution to the regional dimensions of the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC.  

3 November 2007

16 former military commanders from Ituri region and 300 of their troops handed themselves over to MONUC for reintegration into Forces armées de la République Democratique du Congo (FARDC).

Militia commander, Kibamba Kasereka, leader of the Forces patriotiques Mayi-Mayi and 29 of his men surrendered to MONUC peacekeepers in North Kivu.

25 October 2007

Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on violence against women, Yakin Ertürk, in her annual report to the General Assembly's Third Committee, highlighted DRC as one of the places on the globe with particularly acute problems, where the level and nature of sexual violence currently occurring amount to war crimes. 

18 October 2007

Germain Katanga, former leader of an ituri armed group (Forces de resistance patriotique en Ituri, or FRPI) was handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in relation to the ICC's investigations into atrocities committed in Ituri.

The Secretary-General's Special Representative for the DRC, William Lacy Swing, and MONUC Force Commander General Babacr Gaye met DRC President Joseph Kabila to discuss the continued violence in North Kivu.  After the meeting, Swing released a statement reiterating UN support for the government but stressing the president's "right and his duty" to protect all citizens of the DRC.

14 October 2007

Renegade General Nkunda rejected the government's ultimatum for stopping hostilities and integrating his forces into the army.

10 October 2007

The UN Secretary-General requested the Security Council to authorise MONUC to provide full support to local elections in the DRC envisaged for the second half 2008 and on the same scale as the national elections in 2006.

8 October 2007

Renegade General Nkunda declared the truce nullified in the face of continuing violent clashes with government forces in eastern DRC.  He, however, proposed a truce two days later after suffering heavy losses and offered 500 of his troops for demobilisation - a gesture greeted with caution by Kinshasha.

26 September 2007

Six people were killed in a gunfight between Ugandan and DRC troops near Lake Albert, marking the second time in two months that fighting had broken out between troops from the two countries.  The incident raised concern about tensions over the precise boundaries of the Lake, which prospectors believe may have immense petroleum reserves and has consequently assumed significant political importance.

17 September 2007

In a letter to the Council (S/2007/543), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) stated that the unrest in North and South Kivus was attributable to the presence of regular armies, militias and armed groups, primarily from Rwanda, on its territory.

11 September 2007

The Council was briefed by John Holmes, Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, regarding the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

6 September 2007

UN mediators announce shaky ceasefire between the government army and Nkunda's forces.

27 August 2007

A meeting of officials from Burundi, the DRC, Rwanda and Uganda was held in Kigali to consider regional security concerns, including possible joint miltary operations to stem rebel activity in eastern DRC. 

The Council adopted resolution 1771 renewing both the DRC sanctions and the mandate of the Group of Experts until 15 February 2008.  The Council decided that the government be exempt from the embargo regarding arms and technical training and assistance being used by DRC army and police units, except in the districts of North and South Kivu and Ituri where only technical training and assistance was exempted. 

The Council renewed the sanctions regimes and the mandate of the Group of Experts (GoE) (S/RES/1768) until 10 August 2007 in order to weigh up a deterioration of the situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as well as a request from the DRC government to modify the arms embargo.  

Bemba's leave of absence from the Senate expired, but he refused to return to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from Portugal because of lack of security guarantees by the government.

The Council expressed deep concern at the deteriorating security situation in the east of the DRC and urged a political solution to the crisis (S/PRST/2007/28). It also encouraged UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to support the integrated brigades and the DDRRR process and Congolese authorities to develop plans to disarm armed groups in cooperation with the UN mission and, in an interesting development, provided specific policy guidance relevant to the use of force if necessary.

The body of a prominent politician, Floribert Chui Bin Kositi, provincial secretary of the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD), was discovered in Goma, capital of North Kivu.  His body was reported to bear marks evidencing a violent attack. 

June 2007

Serge Maheshe, a broadcaster who worked with the UN-backed Radio Okapi in Bukavu, was shot dead.

15 April 2007

The Council rolled over the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (MONUC) mandate for one month.

Mid-April 2007

Bemba flew to Portugal and the Congolese public prosecutor reportedly requested the senate to lift Bemba's immunity. This incident seems to have intensified concerns about the future of democratic institutions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

29 March 2007

The Council on sanctioned two individuals and five entities found to have either violated the arms embargo or refused to disarm.

Late March 2007

Heavy fighting between supporters of President Joseph Kabila and opposition leader and Senator Jean-Pierre Bemba erupted after a government ultimatum that Bemba's supporters disarm. The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo intervened and quelled the fighting. There were strong international calls for a negotiated solution. About 200 of Bemba's fighters reportedly agreed to lay down arms and integrate into the army.

Supporters of President Joseph Kabila and Jean-Pierre Bemba clashed in western Democratic Republic of the Congo, leaving 77 dead, and again in late March in Kinshasa. In eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, fighting between Congolese armed forces and the Forces démocratiques pour la libération du Rwanda (FDLR) flared, leading to the displacement of 10,000 persons.

The situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains fragile. Violent incidents were reported. Recruitment of child soldiers and widespread human rights violations by militia and Congolese security forces continue.

On his first official trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Secretary-General visited Kinshasa and sought to allay concerns about imminent cutbacks on the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's size.

The new senate was elected with the majority going to Kabila's alliance. However, former presidential candidate Jean-Pierre Bemba did secure a seat. 

The Council held consultations on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was briefed by Under Secretaries-General Jean-Marie Guéhenno and Ibrahim Gambari. Guéhenno underlined major challenges still being confronted in implementing the transitional agenda such as governance and security sector reform. 

The second Great Lakes summit took place in Nairobi. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania signed a security, stability and development pact, with reports of agreement on a security action plan to disarm militias and to "refrain from, prevent and punish" serious crimes.

Late November 2006

Fighting broke out in the eastern province of North Kivu, pitting government forces against militias loyal to dissident General Laurent Nkunda, displacing 150,000. After UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo troops intervened, the militias seemed to retreat.

26 November 2006

The Supreme Court confirmed President Joseph Kabila's victory in the presidential elections. Rival candidate Jean-Pierre Bemba is reported to be interested in leading the opposition and running for the Congolese senate in elections at provincial assemblies in late December.

27 November 2006

The Supreme Court decided on against Bemba's complaints, thus maintaining the provisional results.

18 November 2006

The coalition Jean-Pierre Bemba made several accusations of fraud, filing a challenge before the Supreme Court.

29 October 2006

Results of the  presidential elections indicated Joseph Kabila's victory with 58 percent of the votes.

23 September 2006

The candidates agreed to make Kinshasa a weapons-free zone and to the cantonment of their respective militias. 

The new national assembly was inaugurated.

The results of the national assembly polls showed that no party won a majority of seats.

The International Criminal Court Prosecutor formally charged Ituri militia leader Thomas Lubanga with recruiting child soldiers.

Final results of the first round of presidential elections were posted.

The Council strengthened the sanctions regime.

Parliamentary polls and the first round of presidential elections took place.

A Council mission visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo ahead of the elections.

9 March 2006

The electoral law was adopted

17 March 2006

Thomas Lubanga was surrendered by Congolese authorities to the International Criminal Court for crimes in Ituri.

10 March 2006

Candidate registration for the June elections began.

17 February 2006

The new Democratic Republic of the Congo constitution was promulgated.

27 January 2006

The Council held a ministerial-level debate on the Great Lakes.

23 January 2006

Eight UN peacekeepers were killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in combat with the Ugandan rebel Lord's Resistance Army.

21 December 2005

The Council strengthened the sanctions regime.

The Forces Armées de la Républic Démocratique du Congo began a military offensive against Mayi-Mayi rebels in Katanga.

A list of individuals subject to targeted sanctions was adopted.

October 2005

The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda discussed the Lord's Resistance Army issue under the Tripartite Plus One Joint Commission.

16 September 2005

The Tripartite Plus One Commission adopted a statement on the 30 September deadline for foreign troops to leave the Democratic Republic of the Congo

September 2005

Lord's Resistance Army elements entered the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ugandan President Museveni threatened to intervene and Kinshasa set a deadline for all foreign groups to disarm.

Voter registration began.

May 2005

The Council expanded the arms embargo to include any recipient within the entire country's territory, and imposed a travel ban and assets freeze.

March 2004

The Council established a Sanctions Committee and a Group of Experts.

July 2003

The Council imposed an arms embargo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

December 2002

The Global and All Inclusive Agreement was signed.

April 2002

The Sun City Agreement was signed between some of the Congolese warring parties.

January 2001

Joseph Kabila was sworn in as president after the assassination of his father, President Laurent-Desiré Kabila.

December 1999

The Council established the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

July 1999

The Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement was signed.

August 1998

Congolese insurgents, Uganda and Rwanda battle against President Laurent-Desiré Kabila.

May 1997

Laurent-Desiré Kabila was sworn in as president after a Rwandan and Ugandan-backed rebellion.

1994-1996

Rwandan Hutu extremists carried out attacks against Rwanda from Zaire.

1994

After the Rwandan genocide, Rwandan Hutu extremists fled to eastern Zaire.