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).
This month the Council is also expected to renew the mandate of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO).
Key Recent Developments
On 27 June, the DRC and Rwanda—who had been engaged in mutual accusations of supporting proxy armed groups in the conflict in eastern DRC—signed a peace agreement under US auspices in Washington. On 21-22 October, the third meeting of the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism was held in Washington. The Mechanism set up under the agreement is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for the harmonised plan to neutralise the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR), an ethnic Hutu armed group active in eastern DRC that was implicated in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and to facilitate the disengagement of forces and lifting of defensive measures by Rwanda, in line with the 27 June Peace Agreement. Representatives from the US, Qatar, and the African Union (AU) Commission attended the meeting. According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, the DRC and Rwanda reaffirmed their commitment to what was referred to as the Operations Order (OPORD), which was developed to serve as the implementation plan for advancing the CONOPS.
On 7 November, the Joint Oversight Committee, established based on the peace agreement to resolve any disputes arising between the parties during implementation, held its meeting in Washington. Representatives from the US, the DRC, and Rwanda, Qatar, Togo (as the AU mediator), and the AU Commission participated. According to a joint statement released after the meeting, the parties committed themselves to refraining from hostile actions or rhetoric that would undermine the full implementation of the 27 June peace agreement. They also initialled the text of a Regional Economic Integration Framework (REIF), which outlines key areas for fostering economic cooperation and development between them. During the meeting, Qatar, which has been facilitating talks between the Congolese government and the Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) rebel group, provided an update on the ongoing negotiations in Doha.
Following an initial direct meeting between representatives of both parties in Doha under Qatari facilitation, the Congolese government and the M23 issued a joint declaration on 23 April, reaffirming their commitment to an immediate cessation of hostilities and their categorical rejection of hate speech and intimidation, and calling on local communities to uphold these commitments. On 19 July, they concluded a Declaration of Principles in Doha that included a commitment to a ceasefire.
Since then, negotiations have been ongoing to reach a comprehensive peace agreement, paving the way for the two sides to sign the Doha framework for peace on 15 November. In doing so, they affirmed their commitment to addressing the root causes of the conflict through structured dialogue, confidence-building measures, and a phased approach to de-escalation and stabilisation. Qatar indicated that the Doha framework agreement will serve as a foundation for a comprehensive peace process, with a series of protocols, annexes and technical arrangements to be discussed and agreed between the parties in due course to address specific issues, including the consolidation and verification of a ceasefire, modalities for troop disengagement, humanitarian access, reintegration and support for national dialogue.
On 26 November, Council members held an informal interactive dialogue (IID) on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during which they were briefed on the current state of the various mediation processes in Washington and Doha. The facilitators outlined the present dynamics, anticipated outcomes, and ways in which the Council can support the peace efforts, including a possible role for MONUSCO in ceasefire monitoring. (For more, see our 25 November What’s in Blue story.)
On 30 October, France, together with Togo, hosted a Great Lakes Conference on the margins of the Paris Peace Forum. The purpose of the meeting was to mobilise the international community to respond to the humanitarian emergency in the eastern DRC and in the region and support the ongoing negotiation and mediation processes.
The 9th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) took place on 15 November in Kinshasa, DRC, during which DRC President Félix Tshisekedi assumed the rotating ICGLR chairmanship. The last ICGLR summit was held virtually in November 2020, and Angola’s President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço had been serving as the rotating chair since then. He was also actively involved in efforts to ease the tensions between the DRC and Rwanda through what was known as the Luanda process.
Human Rights-Related Developments
On 27 October, the President of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) Ambassador Jürg Lauber (Switzerland) announced the appointment of Arnauld Akodjenou (Benin), Maxine Marcus (Germany/US) and Clément Nyaletsossi Voule (Togo) to serve as the three independent members of the recently established Independent Commission of Inquiry on the human rights situation in the South and North Kivu provinces of the DRC.
On 7 and 8 October, the HRC adopted resolutions 60/22 and 60/35, respectively. Resolution 60/22 requests the members of the commission to present an oral update and to submit a comprehensive report on South and North Kivu’s human rights situations, within the framework of an enhanced interactive dialogue. Resolution 60/35 concerns technical assistance and capacity building in the field of human rights in the DRC. Among other recommendations, the resolution calls on international actors and partners, under the auspices of the UN Human Rights Office, to provide the additional financial resources and technical and logistical support necessary for the DRC government to consolidate its efforts in the field of transitional justice at national and regional levels.
On 1 September, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights submitted a report to the HRC that provides an overview of the country’s human rights situation and the activities of the UN Joint Human Rights Office between 1 June 2024 and 31 May. Among other matters, the report emphasises the importance of the Joint Office continuing its support to the Congolese government in implementing its human rights obligations and calling on the DRC to strengthen its collaboration with UN human rights mechanisms, including treaty bodies and special procedures.
Women, Peace and Security
In a 30 September statement, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, expressed grave concern about the abduction and alleged sexual violence perpetrated against four women human rights defenders in the South Kivu province of the DRC, as well as at the killing of the mother of one of the activists. Lawlor warned that these incidents form part of a pattern of systematic violence against civilians in eastern DRC, “where human rights defenders, and women human rights defenders in particular, are consistently targeted”. The statement called on the DRC authorities to promptly investigate the attacks, bring those responsible to justice, and guarantee a safe environment for human rights defenders.
Key Issues and Options
A key issue for the Council in December is the renewal of MONUSCO’s mandate. At the 30 September meeting, Council members requested the Secretary-General to make appropriate recommendations considering developments on the ground, as well as any adjustments necessary to ensure the mission’s performance. The Secretary-General’s quarterly report, due by 30 November, is expected to contain these recommendations.
Council members are likely to consider MONUSCO’s three key priority tasks—namely, the protection of civilians, security sector reform, and the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) of former combatants—as remaining relevant. In response to developments, Council members could choose to assign the mission additional responsibilities, such as monitoring or supervising the implementation of a ceasefire and supporting ongoing peace processes.
The challenges facing MONUSCO, particularly the restrictions on its freedom of movement in areas controlled by the M23, have been of continued concern for Council members. In the upcoming mandate renewal, they are likely to call for the lifting of all such restrictions to enable the mission to effectively fulfil its mandated tasks.
Another major issue is the impact of the UN’s liquidity crisis and the resulting budget cuts being implemented across peacekeeping missions. Consequently, MONUSCO has been compelled to repatriate some of its contingents. On 18 November, Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix briefed Council members, in closed consultations, on the contingency plan being implemented across all peacekeeping missions to mitigate this challenge. (For more, see our 17 November What’s in Blue story.)
Council Dynamics
Council members have welcomed recent breakthroughs in ongoing mediation efforts to resolve the situation in eastern DRC. At the time of writing, Council members were negotiating a draft press statement to welcome the signing of the Doha Framework Agreement. However, they acknowledge that meaningful progress of the security situation on the ground will depend on the parties’ implementation of their commitments.
At the same time, Council members remain deeply concerned about the security situation in eastern DRC. They are likely to continue reiterating their call for the cessation of hostilities and for the implementation of commitments undertaken by the parties within the framework of ongoing mediation efforts in Washington and Doha. In particular, Council members emphasise the importance of implementing the CONOPS to neutralise the FDLR and of lifting the defensive measures imposed by Rwanda.
Some Council members are worried about the impact of the funding cuts, which they think will undermine MONUSCO’s capacity to fulfil its mandated tasks, particularly the protection of civilians. At the 30 September meeting, Pakistan, a major MONUSCO troop-contributing country, argued that the mission must be strengthened and not weakened. Russia maintained that the mission’s ability to protect civilians must be restored or adapted to the new realities. The “A3 Plus” grouping (Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Guyana) particularly stressed that “any drawdown or reconfiguration must be conditions-based, responsible and aligned with progress on the ground to avoid creating a security vacuum”.
However, the US wants the mission to become more effective by eliminating unnecessary expenses and redundancies. Despite this, recent media reports indicate that the Trump administration has notified Congress of its intentions to provide funding for the US share of costs for MONUSCO.
| Security Council Resolutions | |
| 21 February 2025S/RES/2773 | This resolution, acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, strongly condemns the ongoing offensive and advances of the M23 in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces of the DRC–calling on the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) to cease support to M23 and immediately withdraw from DRC territory without preconditions. The resolution also reiterates an urgent call for all parties to conclude an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. |
| 20 December 2024S/RES/2765 | This resolution extends the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) for a period of one year until 20 December 2025–noting the continued violence in eastern DRC by the 23 March Movement (M23) and the persistent presence of other domestic and foreign armed groups in the country. |
| Security Council Meeting Records | |
| 30 September 2025S/PV.10008 | This was an open briefing on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. |
