Democratic Republic of the Congo
Expected Council Action
In September, the Security Council will hold a briefing and consultations on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Special Representative and Head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) James Swan is expected to brief.
Key Recent Developments
The situation in the eastern DRC continues to deteriorate, despite various ceasefire agreements signed within the framework of ongoing mediation efforts. Fighting between the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) and the Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) rebel group has continued unabated, with persistent clashes reported in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
On 28 July, the Congolese government signed a protocol with 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. The Congolese government indicated that the protocol is focused on the disarmament, demobilisation and cantonment of FDLR’s combatants and that it is aligned with the December 2025 Washington Accords signed between the DRC and Rwanda under US auspices. In this regard, the Congolese government believes that the protocol represents progress towards fulfilling DRC’s commitments, based on the Concept of Operations (CONOPs) annexed to the Accords, which provide for the neutralisation of the FDLR and the disengagement of Rwandan forces in eastern DRC.
Rwanda, however, has characterised the move as a delaying tactic, arguing that the Accords call for the FDLR’s neutralisation rather than negotiations with the group. Rwanda has also accused the Congolese government of intensifying its support to the FDLR and integrating its members into the FARDC.
In a 13 August statement, the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes (ICG)— comprising Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the EU, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the US—took note of the signing of the protocol. The Group urged the Congolese authorities to develop an operational plan and a realistic timeline for the effective neutralisation of the FDLR, in line with the Washington Accord and its CONOPs. It also called on the Congolese government to work with MONUSCO as a key partner in implementing the protocol.
On 7 August, the Congolese authorities released 15 detainees in accordance with the prisoner exchange agreement signed between the Congolese government and M23 under the Doha Peace Process, a mediation initiative spearheaded by Qatar. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated their transfer to the M23. Qatar confirmed the release of the detainees, which it said represents an important step toward building confidence between the parties.
Despite this development, progress in the Doha process remains stalled, with the parties having so far signed only two of the eight protocols outlined in the November 2025 Doha Framework for Peace: the Ceasefire Oversight and Verification Mechanism and the Mechanism for the Liberation of Detainees. Progress on the remaining six protocols—which focus on, among other issues, humanitarian access and judicial protection; the restoration of state authority; interim security arrangements; return of internally displaced persons and refugees; economic and society recovery; and justice, truth and reconciliation—is still needed to advance the peace process. At the time of writing, representatives of the Congolese government and M23 were in Geneva to address outstanding issues which have hampered progress in the Doha process.
From 12 to 13 August, the sixth meeting of the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism, one of the structures set up under the Washington Accords, was also held in Geneva. The meeting was attended by representatives from the DRC and Rwanda, as well as from the US, Qatar, Togo (in its capacity as the AU mediator), and the AU Commission. According to a joint statement issued following the meeting, the parties agreed to take steps to strengthen monitoring and verification of the implementation of the agreement on the ground. They also agreed to convene a trilateral planning conference with the US in October to finalise a document guiding their coordinated efforts in this regard.
The Ebola outbreak in DRC remains a major concern, with the Congolese authorities reporting that the disease has so far claimed 2,325 lives. With 4,945 confirmed cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the outbreak is outpacing response efforts. On 20 August, the WHO announced the decision by the UN’s international vaccine coordination group to release 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine to the DRC. The WHO cautioned, however, that it remains unclear whether the vaccine will work against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola circulating in the country.
Sanctions-Related Developments
France, the UK, and the US proposed adding six individuals and two entities to the sanctions designation list under the 1533 DRC sanctions regime in May. Apparently, Russia had placed a hold on the proposal but eventually lifted it, paving the way for the designations to be approved in July. The list included Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), a rebel coalition that includes the M23 as a major component and is among the entities designated in July under the sanctions regime.
Human Rights-related Developments
On 29 June, the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Human Rights Situation in the South and North Kivu Provinces of the DRC reported that civilians in affected areas are “vulnerable and unprotected” as a result of the deteriorating security environment, which is “marked by civilian displacement, weakened public institutions, and a highly complex regional conflict”. The commission emphasised the need for victims to be the focus of accountability efforts, while calling on “national authorities and the international community … to take concrete steps to safeguard humanitarian corridors, protect vulnerable local rights monitors, and support credible, independent investigations”.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk issued a press release on 9 July deploring the effect of recent fighting in the eastern DRC on civilians and calling for “concerted national and international efforts to de-escalate tensions”.
Four UN experts of the UN Human Rights Council issued a press release on 21 July in which they “appealed for an end to M23’s reign of terror by sexual torture and violence amid a growing number of testimonies from civilian victims”. The experts also called on the UN and states to resurrect the December 2025 ceasefire agreement signed by the DRC government and the M23 rebel group.
Key Issues and Options
The continuing key issue for the Council in September is the deteriorating security situation in eastern DRC and its devastating impact on civilians. In this connection, Council members are likely to reiterate their call on the parties to respect the ceasefire agreements and fulfil their commitments under the Doha and Washington processes.
A related issue is MONUSCO’s role in supporting the implementation of a permanent ceasefire. In particular, Council members will be interested in receiving updates on the mission’s efforts to support the full and effective operationalisation of the ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanisms established under the ongoing mediation efforts. The mission’s role in ceasefire monitoring, particularly in South Kivu province, appears uncertain, raising questions about whether MONUSCO could deploy to South Kivu on the basis of its existing mandate or whether a further Council decision would be necessary. MONUSCO withdrew from South Kivu in June 2024 as part of the disengagement process requested by the Congolese government in November 2023. Pursuant to resolution 2808 of 19 December 2025, the mission’s area of operation is limited to North Kivu and Ituri provinces, except when needed to support ceasefire monitoring and verification activities in South Kivu and when the mission determines that the situation permits it to do so, as mandated by the Security Council. In such circumstances, MONUSCO is requested by resolution 2808 to notify the Council in writing.
Also related is additional resources needed for ceasefire monitoring. This was raised in the context of discussions at the General Assembly’s Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary Matters) on the peacekeeping budget in connection with MONUSCO’s proposed resource requirements. The mission has been supporting the operationalisation of the ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanisms and apparently envisaged the deployment of forces in South Kivu as part of these efforts.
The latest developments regarding the peace process will also likely be a focus of attention of Council members, including the protocol signed between the Congolese government and FDLR and the release of detainees. Some Council members may encourage the Congolese government to work with MONUSCO on the disarmament, demobilisation and cantonment of FDLR combatants as one of the mission’s core mandates.
The Ebola outbreak response in eastern DRC is another major issue. Since the Council’s last meeting in June, the situation has deteriorated significantly amid worsening security and humanitarian situations. In this regard, one possible option would be to request a briefing from the WHO and the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to gain a better understanding of how the security situation in eastern DRC is affecting response efforts and further exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation in the region.
Council Dynamics
Council members are broadly supportive of MONUSCO’s work in eastern DRC. Nonetheless, differences remain over the potential scope of the mission’s role in supporting the implementation of a permanent ceasefire. China and Russia continue to argue that the necessary conditions that enable MONUSCO to assume a ceasefire monitoring role are not yet in place. They also maintain that the parties must meet these conditions before the Council can consider reviewing and adjusting the mission’s posture and footprint. This issue was a key factor that prevented agreement on a draft presidential statement proposed in March by France, the penholder on the DRC, which sought to facilitate a review and adjustment of the mission’s posture and footprint in accordance with resolution 2808 that last renewed MONUSCO’s mandate.
Council members appear to be supportive of the mission’s role in ceasefire monitoring. However, at the June Security Council meeting on the DRC, China and Russia underscored that any potential deployment in South Kivu would require prior authorisation by the Security Council.
| Security Council Resolution | |
| 19 December 2025S/RES/2808 | This resolution renewed the mandate of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) for one year, until 20 December 2026. |
| Security Council Meeting Record | |
| 26 June 2026S/PV.10185 | This was the meeting on the situation in the DRC. |
