Democratic Republic of the Congo
Expected Council Action
In December, the Security Council will hold a briefing and consultations on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The anticipated briefer is Bintou Keita, the Special Representative and Head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO).
The Council is also expected to renew MONUSCO’s mandate, which is set to expire on 20 December.
Key Recent Developments
The security situation in eastern DRC remains fragile, with the Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) rebel group further expanding its presence in North Kivu province. The Secretary-General’s most recent report, published on 20 September, noted that the ceasefire between the Rwandan and Congolese military forces has largely held while clashes between the M23 and other armed groups persisted. Other armed groups operating in eastern DRC, such as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and the Coopérative pour le développement du Congo (CODECO), also continue to target civilians in North Kivu and Ituri provinces of eastern DRC.
Regional diplomatic efforts to address the security situation in eastern DRC and ease regional tensions, particularly between the DRC and Rwanda, are ongoing. The two countries have engaged in mutual recriminations over alleged support for their proxies in the conflict. The DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23 while Rwanda asserts that the DRC supports the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR), an ethnic Hutu armed group active in eastern DRC that was implicated in the 1994 genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda. The Group of Experts assisting the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee has corroborated these assertions in its reports.
On 30 July, the DRC and Rwanda signed a ceasefire agreement in Luanda under Angola’s auspices, which took effect on 4 August. Based on the agreement, the ceasefire will be monitored by the Ad-Hoc Verification Mechanism established as part of the Luanda process—a regional initiative under the leadership of Angolan President João Lourenço to ease tensions between the DRC and Rwanda. Following the development of a concept of operations by technical experts from both sides, the reinforced Ad-Hoc Verification Mechanism was launched on 5 November at the border post in Goma in the presence of the foreign ministers of Angola, the DRC, and Rwanda.
Following the signing of the ceasefire agreement, the foreign ministers of the DRC and Rwanda have engaged in discussions on a peace proposal put forward by Angola, aimed at finding a lasting solution to the long-standing conflict in eastern DRC. These discussions have resulted in an agreement by the two parties to a plan to neutralise the FDLR. Rwanda would then ease what it has described as “defensive measures”. Difficulties have emerged, however, regarding the implementation of this plan. The Congolese government would like the international community to impose targeted sanctions on Rwanda for its alleged destabilising actions and is demanding the immediate, unconditional withdrawal of Rwandan troops from Congolese territory. Rwanda denies that its troops are in eastern DRC, maintaining that it has only implemented defensive measures to address security threats.
DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame were in Paris to attend the Francophonie Summit on 4 and 5 October. French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly met with the two leaders separately to encourage them to continue to engage in dialogue to achieve a comprehensive settlement through the Luanda process. The foreign ministers of the two countries were scheduled to meet again in Luanda on 16 November under Angola’s facilitation, but there is no indication that the meeting took place as planned.
Regarding the implementation of the disengagement plan agreed with the Congolese government and endorsed by the Security Council in resolution 2717 of 19 December 2023, MONUSCO concluded the withdrawal of its forces from South Kivu in June. The process faced some challenges, however, including a lack of adequate resources such as logistics and manpower and the deteriorating security situation. In resolution 2746, the Council “urged MONUSCO to consolidate the handover of responsibilities to the DRC government in South Kivu and to continue to jointly plan the next steps of the gradual, responsible and sustainable withdrawal of the mission before further moving forward”. According to the Secretary-General’s 20 September report, MONUSCO has started the transition planning processes in North Kivu and Ituri through the provincial transition teams with particular attention to strengthening national institutions and capacities to protect civilians.
On 6 August, the Security Council adopted resolution 2746 authorising MONUSCO to provide operational and logistical support to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), operating in the eastern DRC since December 2023. SADC convened an extraordinary summit on 20 November to discuss the situation in eastern DRC and received an update on the progress of SAMIDRC one year after its deployment to the region. The summit, among other things, extended SAMIDRC’s mandate by one year. Council members received the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of this resolution and a report on the activities of SAMIDRC, including coordination with MONUSCO, which were due by 15 November.
Sanctions-Related Developments
In November, the Chair of the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Michael Imran Kanu (Sierra Leone), accompanied by members of the committee, visited Angola, the DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda as part of the committee’s regular engagement with countries in the region to exchange views on the peace and security situation in the eastern DRC and discuss the implementation of the 1533 DRC sanctions regime.
Human Rights-Related Developments
On 5 November, the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group examined the DRC’s human rights record.
Chambu Mwavita Chantal, DRC’s Minister of Human Rights, outlined measures taken since the 2019 UPR. She reported that the DRC had ratified the AU Convention for the Protection of Internally Displaced Persons. She also highlighted the establishment of the National Fund for reparations to victims of conflict-related sexual violence and other crimes, alongside a decree creating “One Stop Centres” to improve multisectoral services for sexual violence survivors.
On 8 October, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk presented a report (A/HRC/57/76) to the Human Rights Council on the activities of the UN Joint Human Rights Office in the DRC. He noted that the number of victims of human rights violations and abuses, and violations of international humanitarian law, continues to grow. Türk mentioned that detention conditions across the DRC are deteriorating, including in facilities run by the intelligence services.
On 7 October, the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution (A/HRC/RES/57/34) on technical assistance and capacity-building in the DRC. The resolution condemned human rights violations and the illicit exploitation of natural resources, particularly in conflict-affected eastern DRC, where ongoing violence continues to displace significant populations.
Key Issues and Options
A key issue for Council members in December will be MONUSCO’s mandate renewal. Unlike the past two years, the Congolese government is no longer pushing for the mission to leave. After MONUSCO’s withdrawal from South Kivu, Council members also feel that the conditions are not yet favourable for the mission to draw down in North Kivu and Ituri, the two remaining provinces where the mission continues to operate. A possible option for Council members is to renew the mission’s mandate for another year while also considering strengthening MONUSCO’s capacity to support the development of DRC’s national institutions and its capacity to protect civilians.
The other major issue is how to support ongoing regional efforts to find a lasting solution to the conflict in eastern DRC through diplomatic means. In their 25 October press statement, Council members expressed their unwavering support for ongoing mediation efforts through the Luanda Process, urged the scrupulous implementation of the 30 July ceasefire agreement, and called on both parties to fully cooperate with Angola to accelerate the implementation of the harmonised plan for the neutralisation of the FDLR and the disengagement of foreign forces. In order to provide Council members with an update on the ceasefire agreement’s implementation and ongoing discussions to achieve a comprehensive settlement through the Luanda process, a possible option would be for the US Security Council presidency to invite Angola to brief the Council in a private meeting. This could allow Council members to exchange ideas about how the Council can support this process. Another option would be to hold a meeting in the informal interactive dialogue format to bring together high-level officials from Angola, the DRC, and Rwanda for a discussion with the Council.
The logistical and operational support provided by MONUSCO to SAMIDRC is an impending issue. The Secretary-General’s report will inform this discussion on the implementation of resolution 2746 and SAMIDRC’s report on its activities, including coordination with MONUSCO.
Council Dynamics
Council members remain seriously concerned about the security and humanitarian situation in the eastern DRC. They all seem to agree that the solution to this long-standing issue is political, and they continue to support regional efforts. In this regard, they welcomed the signing of the ceasefire agreement between the DRC and Rwanda within the framework of the Luanda process. Some Council members continue to call for external actors to stop supporting armed groups in eastern DRC. In particular, the US, France, Switzerland, and Slovenia remain vocal about the issue and regularly mention Rwanda’s role in the region.
Council members also agree on the need to address the root causes of the crisis in eastern DRC. Some members have repeatedly expressed concerns about the illegal exploitation of natural resources and the proliferation of weapons, which help to fuel the conflict in the region.
Council members continue to stress that the MONUSCO disengagement process must be implemented in a gradual, conditions-based, and responsible manner. At the September meeting on the situation in the DRC, several Council members stressed the need to learn lessons from the withdrawal of MONUSCO from South Kivu, avoid leaving a security vacuum, and decide on the next steps based on the evolving security situation on the ground. Some Council members underscored the protection of civilians as a matter of priority in this regard. Others highlighted the issue of safety and security, condemning attacks against peacekeepers. In particular, China referenced attacks on “MONUSCO convoys, Global Positioning System jamming and other security incidents” mentioned in the Secretary-General’s 20 September report on MONUSCO.
France and Sierra Leone are the co-penholders on the DRC. Ambassador Michael Imran Kanu (Sierra Leone) chairs the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee.
| Security Council Resolutions | |
| 6 August 2024S/RES/2746 | This resolution authorised MONUSCO to provide logistical and operational support to SAMIDRC and requested the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of this resolution and SAMIDRC to report on its activities, including coordination with MONUSCO, by 15 November. |
| 19 December 2023S/RES/2717 | This resolution extends the mandate of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) |
| Security Council Press Statement | |
| 25 October 2024SC/15866 | This was a statement on the situation in the DRC. |
