Despite diplomatic initiatives led by the United States, Qatar and the African Union, fighting continues in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), where the security and humanitarian situation remains alarming, the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, Huang Xia, told the Security Council on Tuesday.
“A genuine ceasefire remains elusive,” the UN official said, citing continued clashes in DR Congo, particularly in North Kivu and South Kivu, where the AFC/M23 armed group, backed by the Rwandan army according to the United Nations, continues to expand and consolidate its territorial control.
Diplomatic efforts are proceeding on several fronts. The United States is supporting the peace process between Kinshasa and Kigali, while Qatar is facilitating negotiations between the Congolese government and AFC/M23.
The African Union, for its part, is working to coordinate these initiatives and rebuild trust among countries in the region.
Some progress has been made, notably through the conclusion of a protocol on the disarmament of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and the launch of the first missions under a joint mechanism to verify compliance with commitments.
However, disagreements persist over the implementation of these measures, while M23 withdrawals from some positions remain limited, according to the report presented by Huang Xia.
On the ground, clashes continue in several localities in South Kivu, particularly in the territories of Mwenga and Fizi, as well as in North Kivu, in Masisi, Lubero and Walikale.
The report notes the increased use of armed drones, heavy artillery and explosives in populated areas.
Other armed groups are also contributing to insecurity. The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), affiliated with the Islamic State group, were reportedly involved in 211 incidents that killed 468 civilians during the period under review.
The FDLR, meanwhile, were implicated in 94 incidents that left 40 civilians dead.
Between March 16 and September 15, the United Nations documented 2,186 human rights violations and abuses attributed to armed groups, accounting for 70% of the total recorded. AFC/M23 was reportedly responsible for half of these abuses.
Congolese security forces were also implicated, with 891 violations attributed to state actors.
The humanitarian crisis remains equally alarming. At the end of June, DR Congo had more than six million internally displaced people and over 26 million people facing acute food insecurity.
The resurgence of Ebola has further increased healthcare needs. As of September 19, the authorities had reported 7,672 confirmed cases and 3,699 deaths, according to figures cited in the report.
The special envoy also highlighted the role of illegal mineral extraction and trafficking in financing armed groups. He called for stronger supply-chain traceability to curb the resources sustaining the war economy.
Tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali, as well as between Rwanda and Burundi, have also raised fears that the conflict could spread across the region. The report warns that a border incident could trigger a wider confrontation.
Against this backdrop, Huang Xia urged the parties to translate their diplomatic commitments into concrete, verifiable results, stressing that the window of opportunity created by the negotiations would not remain open indefinitely.
TE/Sf/lb/gik/APA