UN envoy warns of spiralling DRC conflict
2 years, 5 months ago

UN envoy warns of spiralling DRC conflict

Al Jazeera  

The United Nations envoy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has warned that fighting in the east of the country could spiral out of control, amid reports of grave human right abuses in the region’s restive provinces. A recent flare-up of heavy fighting has revived decades-old animosities between the governments of DRC and neighbouring Rwanda, with the former blaming the latter for a resurgence of a fighter group called “M23”. “Should the M23 continue its well-coordinated attacks against FARDC and MONUSCO with increasing conventional capabilities, the Mission may find itself confronted by a threat that goes beyond its current capabilities,” UN envoy Bintou Keita told the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, referring to Congolese and UN forces. “Ongoing M23 and armed group activities in eastern DRC threaten to reverse hard-won progress in security and stability in Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region,” Keita said. Speaking at the session, SOFEPADI’s President Julienne Lusenge shared the story of a Congolese woman who was kidnapped twice by fighters, repeatedly raped and forced to cook and eat human flesh.

East Group Rwanda Drc Congo Congolese Eastern Drc M23 Keita Human Flesh Lusenge Sofepadi  m23  drc  eastern  envoy  spiralling  conflict  human  group  woman  fighting  warns  east  council  told

History of this topic

Rwanda, DR Congo peace talks hit snag as mediator Angola calls off meeting
1 week, 1 day ago

Rwanda, DR Congo peace talks hit snag as mediator Angola calls off meeting

Al Jazeera  

DRC presidency says talks had hit deadlock over a Rwandan demand that the DRC hold direct dialogue with M23. Angolan President Joao Lourenco – the African Union mediator to end the conflict – was meeting alone with DRC leader Felix Tshisekedi, Jorge said. Rwanda’s foreign ministry said that a lack of consensus over direct talks between the DRC and a …

East African summit urges peace in eastern Congo but its leader skips talks
3 weeks, 2 days ago

East African summit urges peace in eastern Congo but its leader skips talks

Associated Press  

ARUSHA, Tanzania — East African heads of state made another push for peace in eastern Congo on Saturday but its prospects remained bleak following a regional summit that was marked by the Congolese president’s absence and an early departure of his Rwandan counterpart. A communique read at the end of the closed-door meeting of the East African Community in Arusha, …

As Rwanda votes, tensions with neighbouring DR Congo deepen over M23
5 months, 1 week ago

As Rwanda votes, tensions with neighbouring DR Congo deepen over M23

Al Jazeera  

As Rwandans go to the polls for presidential and legislative elections, some 9.7 million people are voting in an atmosphere of peace and stability. According to the UN expert group report, 3,000 to 4,000 Rwanda Defence Force members are fighting alongside the M23 in DRC. Government spokesperson Yolanda Makolo did not outrightly deny RDF’s presence in the DRC while speaking …

Beijing supports talks to end conflict in east DRC
5 months, 1 week ago

Beijing supports talks to end conflict in east DRC

China Daily  

Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN. Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Monday, Geng urged all armed groups in the DRC to lay down their weapons and withdraw from occupied areas immediately. China supports the efforts of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, to assist peace building and consolidating efforts …

Top UN official in Congo welcomes 2-week truce in the east, where violence is at ‘alarming levels’
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Top UN official in Congo welcomes 2-week truce in the east, where violence is at ‘alarming levels’

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The top U.N. official in Congo on Monday welcomed a two-week humanitarian cease-fire in its mineral-rich east, where she said violence has reached “alarming levels” and risked provoking a wider regional conflict. Keita said that as U.N. experts have documented, “the government of Rwanda has reinforced its support to the M23, enabling it to make major territorial …

Uganda backed M23 in DRC, Rwanda’s ‘de facto control’ on group: UN experts
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Uganda backed M23 in DRC, Rwanda’s ‘de facto control’ on group: UN experts

Al Jazeera  

The United Nations report says the Ugandan army supported the rebels while some 3,000-4,000 Rwandan soldiers fought alongside them in the eastern DRC. The UN Security Council’s group of experts on Monday also said some 3,000-4,000 Rwandan soldiers fought alongside M23 rebels in eastern DRC and that Kigali had “de facto control” of the group’s operations. “Since the resurgence of …

3 Tanzanian soldiers were killed as violence persists in eastern Congo
8 months, 2 weeks ago

3 Tanzanian soldiers were killed as violence persists in eastern Congo

Associated Press  

NAIROBI, Kenya — Three Tanzanian soldiers were killed and three others injured after a mortar shell landed near their camp in eastern Congo, where the Tanzanians are deployed under the banner of a regional bloc to help quell violence. President Felix Tshisekedi of Congo blames neighboring Rwanda for providing military support to the M23, an allegation Rwandan officials no longer …

Eastern DRC ‘at breaking point’ as security, humanitarian crises worsen
8 months, 3 weeks ago

Eastern DRC ‘at breaking point’ as security, humanitarian crises worsen

Al Jazeera  

UN warns of deteriorating situation as M23 rebels continue to make gains, pushing hundreds of thousands of civilians from their homes. War is on the doorstep of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Goma city and the region is at breaking point, activists and aid workers have said, as the United Nations sounds an alarm over the situation in the …

UN peacekeepers begin pullout from DR Congo’s restive east
9 months, 3 weeks ago

UN peacekeepers begin pullout from DR Congo’s restive east

Al Jazeera  

The United Nations on Wednesday started pulling peacekeepers out of Democratic Republic of the Congo, moving to end a 25-year presence amid rising violence in the east of the long-troubled African nation. The withdrawal of the UN forces comes as thousands of civilians have been displaced by heavy fighting between the Congolese armed forces and the M23 rebel group in …

UN Security Council sanctions rebels in DR Congo as violence escalates
10 months ago

UN Security Council sanctions rebels in DR Congo as violence escalates

Al Jazeera  

A committee imposes an arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze on leaders of six armed groups fighting in the mineral-rich region. The United Nations Security Council has sanctioned the leaders of six armed groups fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo amid escalating violence in the country’s restive northeastern region. “We are pleased that as of today, six …

UN Security Council agrees to early withdrawal of DR Congo peacekeepers
1 year ago

UN Security Council agrees to early withdrawal of DR Congo peacekeepers

Al Jazeera  

Congolese authorities have long accused UN forces of failing to protect civilians from armed groups in the eastern DRC. The 15-member body voted on Tuesday to draw down peacekeeping forces in the Central African nation about a year earlier than originally scheduled despite continued concerns over violence. Numerous armed groups, including the ​​Allied Democratic Forces and M23, are active in …

Kenya ‘disassociates’ from DR Congo rebels alliance after diplomatic row
1 year ago

Kenya ‘disassociates’ from DR Congo rebels alliance after diplomatic row

Al Jazeera  

Kenya’s foreign ministry says it ‘strongly disassociates’ with a DRC opposition figure who forged an alliance with rebels in Nairobi. Kenya has “strongly disassociated” itself from a Congolese opposition figure who forged an alliance with rebels in Nairobi, spurring a diplomatic row with Kinshasa. The so-called Congo River Alliance, launched on Friday, includes DRC politicians and groups such as the …

Tensions between Congo and Rwanda heighten the risk of military confrontation, UN envoy says
1 year ago

Tensions between Congo and Rwanda heighten the risk of military confrontation, UN envoy says

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — Tensions between Congo and Rwanda have escalated, heightening the risk of a military confrontation that could draw in Burundi, the top U.N. official in Congo warned the Security Council on Monday. She stressed that insecurity “has compounded the ongoing humanitarian crisis.” According to the U.N. humanitarian office, over 6.5 million people are displaced in Congo, 5.5 million …

Congo and the UN sign a deal for peacekeepers to withdraw after more than 2 decades and frustration
1 year, 1 month ago

Congo and the UN sign a deal for peacekeepers to withdraw after more than 2 decades and frustration

Associated Press  

KINSHASA, Congo — Congo’s foreign minister and the head of the United Nations stabilization mission in Congo signed agreements Tuesday to end the presence of U.N. peacekeepers after more than two decades in the Central African nation. Congolese Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula told national television that the ceremony marked the end of a collaboration “which has proved its limits in …

The massive displacement in Congo | Explained
1 year, 1 month ago

The massive displacement in Congo | Explained

The Hindu  

November 07, 2023 10:41 pm | Updated November 13, 2023 12:23 pm IST The story so far: On October 30, the UN International Organization of Migration reported that the number of people who have been internally displaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to 6.9 million. Since then, the eastern DRC, bordering Rwanda, has been facing insurgency perpetrated …

Congo orders regional peacekeepers to leave by December
1 year, 2 months ago

Congo orders regional peacekeepers to leave by December

Associated Press  

GOMA, Congo — Congo’s government spokesperson has said that the East African regional force would have to leave the country by Dec. 8 because of a “lack of satisfactory results on the ground” as agreed on during a regional meeting. Partick Muyaya told journalists on Monday night that the East African Community, or EAC, force must leave the country “because …

‘We need peace’: M23 war displaces DRC residents yet again
1 year, 6 months ago

‘We need peace’: M23 war displaces DRC residents yet again

Al Jazeera  

For thousands of people in the eastern DRC, displacement in the latest onslaught by the M23 is another episode in their fight for survival. “They are still practically using the same discourse,” said Sematumba of the rebels, comparing current fighters with their predecessors in the first M23 rebellion and to CNDP combatants. “ Kagame got very angry about that.” Life …

UN condemns M23 rebel offensive on DRC town as hundreds flee
1 year, 10 months ago

UN condemns M23 rebel offensive on DRC town as hundreds flee

Al Jazeera  

The M23 rebels have seized areas of eastern DRC’s North Kivu province in a rapid onslaught since May. The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has condemned an offensive by M23 rebels in the east of the country that forced 450 people, including women and children, to seek refuge around its base in Kitshanga town. …

EU calls on Rwanda to stop supporting M23 rebels in DR Congo
1 year, 11 months ago

EU calls on Rwanda to stop supporting M23 rebels in DR Congo

Al Jazeera  

The bloc’s comments came after UN experts’ report found ‘direct intervention’ by Rwandan forces inside the DR Congo. The European Union has urged Rwanda to stop supporting the M23 rebel group, which has captured swaths of territory in North Kivu province in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Saturday said the European …

UN extends Congo peacekeeping force with an eye to its exit
2 years ago

UN extends Congo peacekeeping force with an eye to its exit

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The Security Council voted unanimously Tuesday to extend the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo with an eye to its eventual exit, and to lift a notification requirement on some arms purchases which Congo’s foreign minister recently called “unjustified and humiliating.” The separate resolutions were approved amid worsening security in Congo’s mineral-rich east, a region rife with rebel …

M23 says ready to ‘withdraw’ in eastern DRC, yet clashes reported
2 years ago

M23 says ready to ‘withdraw’ in eastern DRC, yet clashes reported

Al Jazeera  

The armed group, which was absent from the latest peace talks, has requested a meeting with regional mediators over the continuing conflict. The M23 rebel group says it is ready to withdraw from occupied territory in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and will support regional peace-making efforts despite not being represented in talks. The Tutsi-led armed group widely seen …

Talks begin on disarmament of rebel groups in eastern Congo
2 years ago

Talks begin on disarmament of rebel groups in eastern Congo

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The …

M23 accept conditional ceasefire, want talks with DRC government
2 years ago

M23 accept conditional ceasefire, want talks with DRC government

Al Jazeera  

The armed group was warned that if they did not cease fire after the deadline, force would be used to push them out. There has been a pause in fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, after confrontations on Friday between Congolese troops and M23 rebels, as the armed group conditionally agreed to a ceasefire. However, M23, which …

DRC fighting resumes, M23 say ceasefire deal doesn’t affect them
2 years ago

DRC fighting resumes, M23 say ceasefire deal doesn’t affect them

Al Jazeera  

Congolese government has rejected any direct talks with M23, while the armed group says it has no plans to withdraw. Fighting resumed between troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and M23 rebels in the country’s east on Friday, as the armed group said a ceasefire deal between African leaders “doesn’t really concern” them. But Lawrence Kanyuka, the political …

African leaders agree on ‘immediate ceasefire’ in eastern DRC
2 years, 1 month ago

African leaders agree on ‘immediate ceasefire’ in eastern DRC

Al Jazeera  

Regional African leaders, including from Rwanda and DRC, agree on the cessation of hostilities from Friday. African leaders have declared a cessation of hostilities in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo starting Friday, according to a joint statement released after talks in the Angolan capital Luanda, with the aim of ending fighting between Congolese troops and M23 rebels. An East …

East Africa bloc announces peace talks for eastern DRC
2 years, 1 month ago

East Africa bloc announces peace talks for eastern DRC

Al Jazeera  

The announcement came as Congolese troops clashed anew with the M23 north of the city of Goma in the volatile east. East African leaders on Sunday announced peace talks in a bid to stabilise the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where M23 rebels clashed with troops just north of its key city of Goma over the weekend. The seven-nation East …

UN troops in DRC make ‘strategic withdrawal’ from key army base
2 years, 1 month ago

UN troops in DRC make ‘strategic withdrawal’ from key army base

Al Jazeera  

Analysts say the loss of the military base is a setback for the DRC’s war against armed groups in the eastern region. The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has withdrawn troops from the eastern military base of Rumangabo, ceding ground in the battle against the M23 rebel group. The M23 resumed fighting in late …

Kenya deploys hundreds of troops to regional force in eastern DRC
2 years, 1 month ago

Kenya deploys hundreds of troops to regional force in eastern DRC

Al Jazeera  

President Ruto is sending more than 900 military personnel to tackle armed groups in eastern DRC. Kenyan President William Ruto says his country is sending more than 900 military personnel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to join a new regional force tasked with trying to calm deadly tensions fuelled by armed groups. Ruto on Wednesday called the mission …

Burundi sends troops to DRC for regional peacekeeping force
2 years, 4 months ago

Burundi sends troops to DRC for regional peacekeeping force

Al Jazeera  

There are more than 120 armed groups active in the DRC, driving longstanding conflict in the country. The deployment was confirmed by a DRC army spokesman, Lieutenant Marc Elongo, who said the mandate is to track down “all foreign and local armed groups in order to restore peace” in the mineral-rich region bordering Rwanda and Uganda where dozens of rebel …

Clashes continue in DRC despite de-escalation pact with Rwanda
2 years, 5 months ago

Clashes continue in DRC despite de-escalation pact with Rwanda

Al Jazeera  

An M23 rebel spokesman said there was an exchange of fire after Congolese troops attacked a rebel position in the east. Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi met in Angola on Wednesday and agreed on a plan that included an immediate cessation of hostilities and the retreat of M23 fighters from Congo. M23 spokesman Willy Ngoma …

DR Congo and Rwanda agree to reduce tensions over M23 rebels
2 years, 5 months ago

DR Congo and Rwanda agree to reduce tensions over M23 rebels

Al Jazeera  

DRC says it has agreed ‘de-escalation process’ with Rwanda following weeks of rising tensions over rebel fighting. Rwanda and Democratic Republic of the Congo have agreed to a “de-escalation process” following one-day talks between their presidents, mediated by Angola, amid rising tensions over the activities of the M23 rebel group, the Congolese presidency said. It also called for a return …

UN envoy warns Congo's M23 rebels are acting like an army
2 years, 5 months ago

UN envoy warns Congo's M23 rebels are acting like an army

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The U.N. special envoy for …

East Africa leaders agree regional force to quell DR Congo crisis
2 years, 6 months ago

East Africa leaders agree regional force to quell DR Congo crisis

Al Jazeera  

The decision comes as fighting restarts in DRC’s northeast, with Kinshasa blaming Rwanda for backing the M23 rebels. “The heads of state have instructed that the regional force, in cooperation with the DRC’s military and administrative forces, seek to stabilise and guarantee peace in DRC,” read the statement. “The problems affecting the region like the crisis in Congo need a …

What is the latest conflict in the DR Congo about?
2 years, 6 months ago

What is the latest conflict in the DR Congo about?

Al Jazeera  

The Norwegian Refugee Council declared the situation in DR Congo to be the world’s most neglected refugee crisis – for the second year running. That space, especially its mineral-rich eastern region, has been the battleground for more than a hundred armed groups fighting for control of territory there or using it as a base to launch attacks into some of …

East African leaders send regional force to eastern Congo
2 years, 6 months ago

East African leaders send regional force to eastern Congo

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy East Africa’s leaders have responded …

DR Congo welcomes deployment of regional force to fight rebels
2 years, 6 months ago

DR Congo welcomes deployment of regional force to fight rebels

Al Jazeera  

Kinshasa says it will not accept the participation of Rwandan troops in any regional force to fight the M23 rebels. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has welcomed Kenya’s proposal to deploy a regional force to fight the M23 rebel group in the east of the country, but said it won’t accept neighbour Rwanda’s participation. Rwanda denies DRC’s allegations that …

DRC closes Rwanda border after soldier is shot dead during attack
2 years, 6 months ago

DRC closes Rwanda border after soldier is shot dead during attack

Al Jazeera  

The border closure is the latest escalation in a diplomatic crisis that has broken out between the neighbours. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has closed its border with Rwanda after a Congolese soldier was shot dead while attacking border guards inside Rwandan territory. The border closure is the latest escalation in a diplomatic crisis that has broken out between …

Why Rwanda and Congo are sliding toward war again
2 years, 6 months ago

Why Rwanda and Congo are sliding toward war again

LA Times  

People walk on the road near Kibumba, north of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, as they flee fighting between Congolese forces and M23 rebels in North Kivu last month. If Rwanda wants war, “it will have war,” a spokesman for the military governor of Congo’s North Kivu province told thousands of protesters on Wednesday. At that, Congo’s military accused Rwandan …

M23 rebels seize key DRC town, Congolese military blames Rwanda
2 years, 6 months ago

M23 rebels seize key DRC town, Congolese military blames Rwanda

Al Jazeera  

M23 rebels capture a key border town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions between the Central African neighbours. The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s military has accused Rwanda of “no less than an invasion” after M23 rebels captured a key border town, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions between the two Central African …

Analysis: Why are Rwanda and DRC having another diplomatic spat?
2 years, 6 months ago

Analysis: Why are Rwanda and DRC having another diplomatic spat?

Al Jazeera  

The current diplomatic spat seems to have been triggered by fighting between M23 and state forces in eastern DR Congo. Meanwhile, Kigali, which had already accused Congolese security forces of firing rockets into its territory, said two Rwandan soldiers had been kidnapped on patrol and were being held by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda – another rebel …

The failed ‘state of siege’ in eastern DRC should not be extended
2 years, 7 months ago

The failed ‘state of siege’ in eastern DRC should not be extended

Al Jazeera  

There are much more promising strategies that could help bring sustainable peace to the region. Since then, the Congolese army, Ugandan forces, and the UN’s largest peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, have all been playing their part in a big push against the region’s myriad armed groups. A summit chaired by Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta on April 21 agreed to deploy a …

DRC declares ‘state of siege’ in violence-hit eastern provinces
3 years, 7 months ago

DRC declares ‘state of siege’ in violence-hit eastern provinces

Al Jazeera  

Hundreds of people have been killed, and many displaced in mineral-rich Ituri and North Kivu provinces due to a surge in attacks in recent months. Felix Tshisekedi, president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has declared a “state of siege” over the escalating violence in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. Announcing Tshisekedi’s decision late on Friday, …

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