Great Lakes Region: Briefing and Consultations
On Monday morning (13 October), the Security Council will hold an open briefing on the Great Lakes Region. Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region Huang Xia will brief on the Secretary-General’s latest biannual report on the implementation of the 2013 Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework (PSC-F) for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the region, which was circulated to Council members on 1 October and covers the period from 28 March to 15 September (S/2025/615). The DRC and Rwanda will participate under rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the open briefing.
Xia is expected to focus on the security situation in eastern DRC, which the Secretary-General’s report says remains highly volatile. Council members last discussed developments in the area on 30 September during their regular briefing and consultations on the DRC, including the work of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). At that meeting, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the DRC and Head of MONUSCO Bintou Keita highlighted the discrepancies between progress in ongoing mediation efforts—including the signing of the 27 June peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda and a declaration issued jointly by the Congolese government and the Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) rebel group in April—and the reality on the ground, which she said continues to be marred by increased violence.
Xia is likely to offer a broader regional perspective, including ongoing clashes between the M23 and the Wazalendo—militias allied with the Congolese armed forces (FARDC)—as well as the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR), an ethnic Hutu group active in eastern DRC and implicated in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. He may also address the activities of other armed groups operating in eastern DRC, including the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan group affiliated with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh), which has been responsible for numerous attacks resulting in significant civilian casualties.
Additionally, Xia might mention clashes in the South Kivu province between the Burundi National Defence Force (FDNB) and the Résistance pour un État de Droit au Burundi (RED Tabara), a Burundian armed group active in eastern DRC, as well as the emergence of a new Burundian armed group, the Front Burundais de Libération, which has further complicated the situation. The FDNB operates in the DRC under a bilateral agreement with the Congolese government. In addition to targeting Burundian armed groups, the FDNB has supported the FARDC in its fight against the M23. The Secretary-General’s report notes rising tensions in South Kivu, particularly in Uvira, a town bordering Lake Tanganyika. At the 30 September briefing, Council members expressed concern about the dire humanitarian and human rights situation in eastern DRC and urged all parties to protect civilians and allow humanitarian access to vulnerable populations, in accordance with international humanitarian law. They also voiced alarm about the developments in Uvira and underscored the need to make progress in the ongoing mediation efforts to ease the prevailing tensions. Members are likely to reiterate these concerns at Monday’s meeting.
Another expected focus of the meeting is the ongoing tensions between countries in the region in light of the escalating security situation in eastern DRC. Xia may note that the relationship between the DRC and Rwanda remains strained despite the 27 June peace agreement. While the two sides met on several occasions through the various mechanisms established to implement the agreement, they apparently continue to trade accusations against each other. (For more information, see our 28 September What’s in Blue story.) The latest meeting of the Joint Oversight Committee, established to support the implementation of the peace agreement and to resolve disputes arising between the parties, took place on 1 October in Washington, D.C. Participants in the meeting acknowledged the challenges to advancing the agreement and discussed concrete actions on its implementation, including regarding the neutralisation of the FDLR and the lifting of defensive measures by Rwanda, and underscored the need to support the full implementation of the agreement in “word and deed”. The parties are expected to meet again on 21 and 22 October to discuss these matters.
While Burundi and Rwanda have maintained bilateral engagements at various levels, their relationship continues to exhibit persistent tensions, with Burundi accusing Rwanda of planning an attack against it. The potential escalation of the situation in South Kivu—particularly in Uvira, which is close to the Burundian capital, Bujumbura—may further exacerbate these tensions. While the ongoing cooperation between the DRC and Uganda under Operation Shujaa—a joint military offensive targeting the ADF—has been generally positive, the Secretary-General’s report mentions the DRC’s request for an explanation from Uganda following reports of the reopening of border posts near areas controlled by the M23.
Council members have persistently underscored the need to find a political solution to the crisis in eastern DRC through dialogue and negotiation. They have also urged all parties to demonstrate commitment to fully implementing the signed agreements and to building the necessary trust and confidence in this regard. At Monday’s meeting, Xia may update Council members about the Doha talks between the Congolese government and the M23, which had been stalled since August. Recently, however, the two sides agreed on a Prisoner Exchange Mechanism, under which the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will facilitate the identification, verification, and safe release of detainees held by both sides. This was part of the confidence-building measures discussed at the Doha talks, which are expected to resume this month. Additionally, Xia may highlight the outcomes of various regional summits held over the last couple of months and the decision made by the relevant African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to consolidate the African-led mediation processes. (For more information, see the brief on the Great Lakes region in our October 2025 Monthly Forecast.)
The revitalisation of the PSC-F, in line with the decision of the 11th meeting of the Regional Oversight Mechanism (ROM) held in Burundi in May 2023, is another likely focus of Monday’s meeting. Xia may brief Council members on the outcome of the 12th meeting of the ROM, which took place on 28 May in Entebbe, Uganda. The meeting considered an independent assessment of the implementation of the PSC-F and adopted an action plan on revitalising the PSC-F, emphasising its continued relevance to addressing the root causes of the instability in eastern DRC and the Great Lakes region.
The promotion of sustainable and transparent natural resource management has been a key priority for Council members in relation to addressing the root causes of the conflict in the DRC. Xia may refer to the 13th session of the Regional Committee on Natural Resources—a committee of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) that addresses the illegal exploitation of natural resources—held in Nairobi, Kenya, in April. The committee reviewed a formal request from the Congolese government for an investigation into the alleged smuggling of minerals from areas under M23 control. The session recommended the establishment of an Ad Hoc Commission of Inquiry, a proposal that was subsequently endorsed at an extraordinary meeting of ministers of mines of the ICGLR held on 2 May in Lusaka, Zambia.
The US appears to have a strong interest in securing access to the critical mineral resources in the Great Lakes region, as part of a broader strategy to diversify its supply chains and counter China’s dominance in the sector. It is apparently particularly interested in the implementation of the Regional Economic Integration Framework (REIF) under the 27 June peace agreement, which outlines cooperation between the DRC and Rwanda on a wide range of areas, including energy, infrastructure, and mining. On 30 September, US Special Advisor on Africa Massad Boulos hosted a meeting on the implementation of the REIF with representatives of the two countries in Washington, D.C. The DRC and Rwanda were apparently expected to initial a document on the REIF, negotiated under US auspices. However, it appears that the DRC declined to sign, insisting first on progress in implementing specific measures discussed within the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism established under the 27 June agreement, particularly the lifting of Rwanda’s defensive measures. For its part, Rwanda maintains that security issues were not part of the REIF discussions.
