Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
James Swan, head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), urged parties in the conflict to maintain momentum and fully implement recent peace agreements.
These agreements include the 2025 peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda signed in Washington, DC, the Doha Framework signed in Qatar, and mediation efforts led by the African Union. Together, these initiatives provide a pathway to addressing the prolonged conflict in eastern DR Congo.
Despite these efforts, the security situation remains unstable, with continued clashes in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri. Fighting persists mainly between the Alliance Fleuve Congo/23rd of March Movement (AFC/M23), supported by Rwandan forces, and the Congolese Army (FARDC) allied with the Wazalendo armed group. In some areas, FARDC is supported by the Democratic Forces for the Freedom of Rwanda (FDLR), an ethnic Hutu armed group formed by 1994 genocide perpetrators.
Hostilities are concentrated in North Kivu’s Rubaya mining center and around Rutshuru, as well as in South Kivu's high plains. The use of offensive drones, artillery, and heavy weapons has increased risk to civilians and critical infrastructure. While AFC/M23 has partially withdrawn from some areas, it continues to establish parallel administrative structures in territories it controls.
Mr. Swan emphasized the urgent need for mechanisms to monitor and verify ceasefire commitments under the Doha process. MONUSCO has provided office space, equipment, and logistical support in Goma for these monitoring missions.
The envoy also highlighted ongoing threats from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). Since the last Security Council meeting, the ADF has killed 287 civilians in Ituri, including 44 women. ADF violence in North Kivu temporarily decreased but has resumed in Beni territory, resulting in 66 civilian deaths, including 17 women and three children. Since 19 March, MONUSCO documented 632 civilian deaths linked to armed conflict in North Kivu and Ituri, alongside 1,221 human rights violations, including conflict-related sexual violence by armed groups.