The situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains highly unstable, with continuing violence and a deepening humanitarian emergency that is putting civilians at grave risk and raising wider regional concerns, a senior UN official warned the Security Council today.
"This threatens not only the stability of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, but the entire Great Lakes region," Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, said in his briefing to the 15-member organ.
Recent events especially the Armed Forces Coalition (AFC)/23 March Movement (M23) offensive in South Kivu have revived fears of a wider regional conflagration with unpredictable consequences. He noted that diplomatic progress had been made through the Washington Accords on 4 December, the Doha Framework on 15 November and the 14 October ceasefire monitoring mechanism, but also stressed the urgent need to close the gap between diplomacy and reality and to implement resolution 2773 (2025) without delay.
In North Kivu, AFC/M23 continues consolidating control and parallel administrations, while civilians face multiple threats from other armed groups. "Civilians continue to face grave threats from a range of armed groups," he said.
"The humanitarian situation is equally alarming," he added, emphasizing that, as of today the Humanitarian Response Plan for Democratic Republic of the Congo is only 22 per cent funded. Despite financial constraints and operational restrictions, MONUSCO is sustaining protection work, including around internally displaced persons sites, supporting disarmament and repatriation efforts, and pressing for restored freedom of movement and the reopening of Goma airport.
The representative of Sierra Leone, speaking as Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, provided an overview of the work of the Committee since his last briefing. The Committee held three informal consultations in 2025, he said, stating that, during the meeting held on 2 July, the Coordinator of the Group of Experts provided an overview of the main findings and recommendations contained in the Group's Final report (document S/2025/446 ).
During the meeting held on 20 October, the Coordinator of the Group of Experts provided an overview of the programme of work of the Group. During the meeting held on 27 October, the Committee received a briefing by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, on behalf of the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
Staggering Levels of Violence, Displacement, Deprivation in Kivus, Ituri
Dr. Mohamed Javid Abdelmoneim, International President of Médecins Sans Frontières, also briefed the Council, saying that, despite the appearance of political momentum and the signing of peace deals, his organization has still seen staggering levels of violence, displacement and deprivation in the Kivus and Ituri, with patients describing "extreme brutality". Health systems are collapsing, sexual violence is widespread and access and funding are shrinking, leaving "the gap between political signalling and the lived reality of millions" ever wider.
He argued that civilians are being failed by both State and non-State actors, and cited grave abuses including killings, sexual violence, looting, blocked aid, and attacks on medical work, with ambulances stopped at gunpoint, facilities stormed and a health centre looted and destroyed.
He further underscored the scale of sexual violence - nearly 28,000 survivors sought care in six months. "From where we stand, beside patients, not behind podiums," he said, the Council's debates lack consequence. What is needed is the will to insist civilians are not expendable.
Peace Processes Require All Partners to Honour Their Commitments
In the ensuing discussion, the delegate of the United States, highlighting President Donald J. Trump's 4 December efforts to bring peace to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, said peace processes require all partners to honour their commitments. He voiced "profound disappointment" at renewed violence and asserted that the Rwanda Defence Forces have provided material, logistical and training support to M23, even fighting alongside the group in eastern Congo. He stressed that the United States would use all available tools to hold spoilers accountable and urged Rwanda to meet its obligations and respect the Democratic Republic of the Congo's right to defend its territory.
Speakers repeatedly warned that signing of agreements does not equate with peace, with the representative of the Russian Federation saying that pacts signed in Washington, D.C., and Doha must be assessed by how they are implemented. "The current situation in South Kivu is an indicator of the real attitude of the participants in the negotiation process toward the agreements they signed on to," she emphasized.
Panama's delegate, while welcoming recent diplomatic achievements, pointed out that the reality on the ground demonstrates that the "signing of agreements does not equate with peace". "We are deeply concerned that the commitments made by the parties are not being upheld," added Denmark's speaker. Greece's speaker, urging faster implementation of the December 4 Washington accords, warned that gains must not be undermined by a new escalation.
Call to End Hostilities Immediately
Other speakers called for an immediate stop to the fighting. "It is imperative to end hostilities immediately," said China's delegate, urging M23 to implement Security Council resolution 2773 (2025). "The priority now is for all parties to demonstrate political will," he added. "There can be no military solution to this conflict," added the representative of the United Kingdom, voicing concern over the increase of violence in South Kivu.
Dr. Abdelmoneim's front-line testimony is a "wake-up call" for all, said the representative of Slovenia, Council President for December, speaking in his national capacity. "No progress is possible without silencing the guns," he added. The message is clear: "Silence the guns. Protect the people. Give diplomacy a fighting chance."
MONUSCO is under strain, several speakers also stressed, with Pakistan's delegate condemning restrictions that leave nearly 40 per cent of the Mission's area under AFC/M23 control and prevent civilian protection. He warned of a "stark mismatch" after major budget cuts and troop reductions even as MONUSCO is expected to be a credible and impartial force that can help monitor and verify a ceasefire.
MONUSCO Must Be Guaranteed Freedom of Movement
France's delegate said that the present situation must not be allowed to jeopardize MONUSCO's mandate, negotiations for which are under way. Moreover, he called for an end to the M23's restrictions on the ground, impeding the carrying out of MONUSCO's mandate. The representative of the Republic of Korea added that said the Mission must be guaranteed freedom of movement and access to its operational infrastructure, calling on M23 to immediately lift all restrictions.
The representative of Sierra Leone, also speaking on behalf of Algeria, Guyana and Somalia, voiced appreciation for MONUSCO's commitment over the past three decades. The presence of MONUSCO in the country is vital considering the offensive in South Kivu, he said, underscoring that ongoing discussions must be approached with care, maintaining the safety, lives and livelihood of the Great Lakes people at the centre. "A genuine paradigm shift is needed; one that reimagines the UN presence to reinforce African-led proposals and the Doha and Washington Proposals," he said.
For her part, the representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo deplored the "unacceptable" trampling on the agreement reached in Washington, D.C., on 4 December, the day after it was signed onto, pointing out that such actions put into question the hopeful dynamic created there. Outlining events taking place since 4 December, including the shelling of positions around places including Gatogota, and kamikaze drones hitting civilian areas, leading to the new displacement of 500,000 people, she said these attacks have pushed South Kivu to a breaking point and created a risk of regionalization, with shells also hitting Burundi. "Regional stability cannot rest on the normalization of such serious violations," she stressed.
Calls for Targeted Sanctions, Restrictions on Arms Transfers to Rwanda
"Resolution 2773 (2025) is not lacking in clarity, what is lacking is its enforcement," she continued, underscoring the need for accountability. She called on the Council to impose targeted sanctions against military and political leaders responsible for the aggression and revoke the status of troop-contributing country from Rwanda and establish a systematic notification regime for any transfer of weapons to Kigali.
Rwanda's representative claimed that the Washington agreement was repeatedly broken by the Democratic Republic of the Congo Government and that conditions on the ground continued to deteriorate in ways the Council cannot ignore. He highlighted a pattern of air attacks affecting civilians, claiming that between March and December, there had been 50 air attacks, and said his country raised these concerns with Council members, but "nothing was done". If all sides implement commitments in good faith and support the Doha process, "we possibly have a peaceful solution" to a conflict that has gone on for too long.
The representative of Burundi, denouncing the ongoing violations of Council resolution 2773 (2025) and the seizure of Uvira by Rwandan army, voiced concern over cross-border attacks, some of which violated his country's sovereignty. He called on the Council to advocate for urgent humanitarian assistance, as the UN system is impeded by lack of resources to meet the basic needs of refugees in Gatumba and Cibitoke. Pointing out that bombs on 4 December injured a woman and child in Cibitoke, which represents "a grave provocation", he said, should such irresponsible attacks continue, it would become difficult to avoid a direct escalation between the two countries.
Complete Live Blog coverage of today's meeting can be found here .
