Democratic Republic of the Congo: Emergency Briefing
Tomorrow morning (22 August), the Security Council will hold an emergency briefing to discuss the security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The US called for the meeting in light of a recent spate of armed group attacks in the region which left many civilians dead and injured. Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee is expected to brief. The DRC and Rwanda may participate in the meeting under rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure.
In a 6 August statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned the “deadly attacks” carried out by the Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) rebel group, “backed by members of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF)”, between 9 and 21 July in four villages in Rutshuru territory, North Kivu Province. The statement notes that, according to first-hand accounts received by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the attacks resulted in the deaths of at least 319 civilians, including 48 women and 19 children. The M23 rejected the allegations in a 7 August statement, describing them as “unfounded and politically motivated”. Similarly, Rwanda issued a statement on 11 August, dismissing OHCHR’s allegations against the RDF as “false” and questioning the credibility of the office and its methodology.
France, the penholder on the DRC, has circulated a draft press statement condemning the violence. Council members have been negotiating the draft text, which was placed under a silence procedure until yesterday afternoon (20 August). The US broke silence, requesting the insertion of a reference to the “Rwanda-backed M23”. It seems that the “A3 Plus” grouping (Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Guyana) opposed the inclusion of that reference. At the time of writing, the penholder was apparently consulting with Council members, and a revised draft has yet to be circulated.
On 7 August, Security Council members issued a press statement condemning an attack carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF)—an armed group affiliated with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh)—between the evening of 26 July and the morning of 27 July. The attack targeted a church in Ituri Province, resulting in the deaths of at least 49 civilians, including nine children. The ADF reportedly launched another series of attacks in several localities in North Kivu Province between 9 and 16 August, once again targeting civilians. According to an 18 August press release by the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), these attacks claimed the lives of at least 52 civilians, including eight women and two children.
In a 20 August X post, the US Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs indicated that the purpose of tomorrow’s meeting is “to discuss the horrific abuses perpetrated against civilians, including by M23”. It added that such violations undermine progress towards peace. The US has been involved in efforts to reduce tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, facilitating the signing of a peace agreement between the countries on 27 June. The DRC and Rwanda’s relationship has grown increasingly tense, as the countries criticise each other for supporting proxy armed groups in the conflict in eastern DRC. The DRC accuses Rwanda of backing the M23, while Rwanda claims 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 against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Reports by the Group of Experts assisting the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee have corroborated allegations made by both sides.
Qatar has also played a mediating role aimed at facilitating dialogue between the Congolese government and the M23. Following an initial direct meeting between representatives of both parties in Doha, under Qatari facilitation, the Congolese government and the M23 signed a Declaration of Principles on 23 April. In the declaration, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to an immediate cessation of hostilities, categorically rejected hate speech and intimidation, and called on local communities to uphold these commitments. Qatar has since proposed a separate draft peace agreement to be signed by the DRC and the M23; however, plans to facilitate the signing of the agreement on 18 August apparently did not materialise.
Several contentious issues appear to have emerged during the negotiations. For instance, the M23 is apparently insisting on the implementation of confidence-building measures—such as the release of prisoners of war—as a precondition for further progress. However, the Congolese government maintains that such measures can only be considered once an agreement is signed. In addition, other sensitive issues, including the restoration of state authority and other governance arrangements, have reportedly elicited strong reactions from both sides. Although the 18 August deadline for signing the agreement was missed, Qatar appears committed to continuing its facilitation efforts, and both the Congolese government and the M23 have reportedly expressed willingness to remain engaged in the process.
On 25 July, Council members issued a press statement welcoming the signing of the peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda and the Declaration of Principles in Doha between the DRC and the M23. Council members also expressed support for the conclusion of a comprehensive peace agreement and the implementation of a ceasefire, with the support of MONUSCO and regional mechanisms. However, there seems to be growing concern that the latest wave of attacks may threaten the implementation of commitments by the parties, including the ceasefire.
At tomorrow’s meeting, the US may highlight some of the follow-up meetings that took place recently to facilitate the implementation of the 27 June peace agreement. On 31 July and 1 August, Washington hosted the first meeting of the Joint Oversight Committee, which was established to support the implementation of the peace agreement and to resolve disputes arising between the parties. In addition to delegations from the DRC and Rwanda, representatives from the US, Qatar, Togo—the African Union (AU) facilitator—and the AU Commission participated in the meeting. On 1 August, the delegations from the DRC and Rwanda also initialled the text of the Regional Economic Integration Framework Tenets—a requirement contained in the 27 June peace agreement—which outlines cooperation between the sides on a wide range of areas, including energy, infrastructure, and mining.
On 7 and 8 August, the first meeting of the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism established by the peace agreement was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The mechanism is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the concept of operations for the harmonised plan to neutralise the FDLR and facilitate the disengagement of forces and the lifting of defensive measures by Rwanda. The meeting was attended by representatives from the US, Qatar, the AU mediator’s representative, and the AU Commission. During the meeting, the DRC and Rwanda adopted the mechanism’s terms of reference and discussed next steps for implementing the agreement.
Despite these developments, tensions appear to be rising in eastern DRC. In an 11 August statement, the M23 accused the Congolese government of adopting an offensive military posture, citing the movement of troops and the deployment of military equipment in several areas. The group claimed that these actions are escalating tensions and undermining the peace process. In response, the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) issued a statement on 12 August, accusing the M23 of “belligerent attitudes” and of launching attacks against FARDC positions in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. While reaffirming its commitment to the Washington and Doha processes, the FARDC stated that it reserves the right to respond to any provocations.
At tomorrow’s meeting, Council members are likely to reiterate their condemnation of the recent series of attacks carried out by armed groups and urge the parties to uphold their commitments to the outcomes of the Washington and Doha processes. They may also reaffirm the provisions of resolution 2773 of 21 February, which demanded the cessation of further military advances by the M23 in eastern DRC and called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. (For more information, see our 21 February What’s In Blue story.) Council members may also be interested in receiving updates on the Doha process and the prospects for the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement between the DRC and the M23.
