Democratic Republic of the Congo: Closed Consultations
Tomorrow afternoon (11 March), Security Council members will meet in closed consultations to discuss the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). France, the penholder on the file, requested the meeting. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix is expected to brief Council members on his 27 February-1 March visit to the DRC, where he engaged with Congolese authorities on the security situation in eastern DRC. His visit also included discussions on ongoing diplomatic and political efforts aimed at achieving an immediate cessation of hostilities in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. Lacroix’s visit followed the adoption on 21 February of Security Council resolution 2773, which demanded the immediate cessation of further military advances by the Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) rebel group and called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
Lacroix may refer to his meetings with DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and DRC Prime Minister Judith Tuluka Suminwa in Kinshasa to assess the situation in eastern DRC and discuss the implementation of resolution 2773. Speaking to the press, Lacroix noted that in these meetings, he reaffirmed the commitment of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) to provide the necessary support in this regard, particularly in the context of ongoing discussions on securing a ceasefire and cessation of hostilities under the aegis of regional mediation processes. An 8 February joint summit of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), among other things, called on the EAC and SADC Chiefs of Defense Forces to develop a “securitisation plan” for Goma—the provincial capital of North Kivu, which was captured by the M23 in January—and its surrounding areas. In resolution 2773, the Security Council urged the EAC and SADC to cooperate closely with MONUSCO, given the mission’s potential role in monitoring and implementing any future ceasefire agreement.
Lacroix may also mention his visit to Beni, a city which has been serving as the provisional capital of North Kivu since Goma’s capture by the M23. According to Lacroix, the purpose of his visit was to express solidarity with the people of North Kivu. While in Beni, he also met with the governor of North Kivu province, Major General Evariste Somo Kakule, to assess the security situation in the province, particularly in light of the ongoing M23 offensive. Since the capture of Goma and Bukavu, the provincial capital of South Kivu, the M23 has continued its advance towards the Lubero territory in North Kivu. The rebel group is also approaching the strategic town of Uvira in South Kivu, which lies on the shores of Lake Tanganyika.
Against this backdrop, international pressure seems to be increasing steadily against the M23 and Rwanda, which is accused of supporting the group. On 20 February, the US imposed sanctions on James Kabarebe, Rwanda’s Minister of State for Regional Integration, and Lawrence Kanyuka Kingston, an M23 spokesperson, alongside two of Kanyuka’s companies registered in France and the UK. The UK, Canada, and Germany also announced a range of measures on 25 February, 3 March, and 4 March, respectively, which include restricting or suspending bilateral financial aid and development cooperation with Rwanda. Kigali has criticised these decisions, arguing that such measures will not help solve the situation in eastern DRC.
At tomorrow’s meeting, Lacroix may highlight the challenges faced by MONUSCO personnel, who are operating under extremely difficult circumstances. In her briefing to the Security Council on 19 February, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the DRC and Head of MONUSCO Bintou Keita described some of these challenges, including restrictions on the mission’s freedom of movement and the overwhelming pressure on its infrastructure in Goma and other localities in North Kivu, which are sheltering people who are seeking refuge. Tomorrow, Council members may reiterate their call for the lifting of restrictions against MONUSCO’s freedom of movement, while stressing that such restrictions undermine the mission’s ability to fulfil its mandate.
Although Council members have thus far focused on immediate and pressing issues, some may raise concerns about the mission’s future role considering its current circumstances. In resolution 2765 of 20 December 2024, which most recently renewed MONUSCO’s mandate, the Security Council requested the Secretary-General to develop a tailored strategy, in coordination with the Congolese government and other relevant stakeholders, for the mission’s gradual, responsible, and sustainable withdrawal, taking into account the evolving conflict dynamics and protection risks. This strategy is expected to be shared with Council members by the end of this month.
The humanitarian and human rights situations in eastern DRC remain a source of grave concern for Council members. Even prior to the recent escalation, the DRC had one of the highest displacement figures globally, as approximately seven million people have been displaced in eastern DRC due to ongoing conflict in the past three years. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the recent violence forced more than 110,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) to flee again and leave IDP sites in Goma in search of safety. The escalating security situation has also reportedly been marked by serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law. At the 19 February Council meeting, some members expressed shock at reports of summary executions, sexual and gender-based violence, and other forms of human rights abuses committed in North Kivu and South Kivu, which were confirmed by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). On 3 March, OHCHR also reported the abduction of 130 sick and wounded men by the M23 from two hospitals in Goma. The group denied these allegations in a 5 March statement.
At tomorrow’s meeting, Council members may seek updates on regional processes aimed at addressing the situation in eastern DRC. The 8 February joint EAC-SADC summit decided to merge the Nairobi and Luanda processes—two regional mediation efforts focused on facilitating dialogue between the DRC and various armed groups in eastern DRC, including the M23, and easing diplomatic tensions between the DRC and Rwanda. On 24 February, the two organisations appointed former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, and former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn as co-facilitators of the merged process. However, there currently appears to be a lack of clarity on how this merged process will proceed.
In the meantime, technical experts and chiefs of defence from the EAC and SADC met in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on 23 and 24 February, respectively, following the directives of the 8 February joint EAC-SADC summit. These meetings focused on concrete proposals for implementing the summit’s outcomes, including securing an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities, the provision of humanitarian assistance (including the repatriation of the deceased and evacuation of the injured), the development of a “securitisation plan” for Goma and its surrounding areas, and the opening of airports and key supply routes. One of the issues raised during these meetings was the possibility of deploying a hybrid force comprising the EAC, SADC, and the African Union (AU). However, it appears that the DRC does not support this proposal. The outcome of these meetings is expected to be discussed at the EAC and SADC Council of Ministers meeting on 13 March.
On 6 March, the SADC Organ Troika Plus—comprising the current, incoming, and outgoing chairs of the SADC Organ (Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia)—held a virtual extraordinary summit, with the participation of troop-contributing countries of the SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC)—South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania—and the DRC, to discuss the situation in eastern DRC and review SAMIDRC’s mandate. Like MONUSCO, SAMIDRC is also facing serious challenges, including restrictions on its freedom of movement. Pursuant to resolution 2746 of 6 August 2024, MONUSCO is mandated to provide operational and logistical support to SAMIDRC. However, Keita explained at the 19 February Security Council meeting the difficulties that MONUSCO is facing in supplying SAMIDRC soldiers with basic necessities such as water.
The EAC and SADC technical experts apparently assessed that SAMIDRC’s situation has become untenable, given the significant challenges it faces in implementing its mandate. South Africa, which had reportedly sent reinforcements after 14 of its soldiers were killed in North Kivu, has also hinted at a potential drawdown of its soldiers, depending on the implementation of decisions adopted at the 8 February EAC-SADC summit. Malawi had already decided to withdraw its troops from eastern DRC. Additionally, it seems that the SADC Organ Troika Plus has recommended the withdrawal of SAMIDRC soldiers and equipment from eastern DRC. The outcome of this meeting is expected to be considered at an upcoming SADC extraordinary summit of heads of state and government.
