DR CONGO CRISIS: Updates as top UN official tells emergency Security Council meeting ‘we are trapped’

Democratic Republic of the Congo

NEW YORK, 26 January 2025 / PRN Africa / -- Spiralling violence and killings in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo triggered an emergency Security Council meeting Sunday morning amid peacekeeper and civilian deaths along with sharp calls for action from top UN officials. App users can follow our coverage of the meeting and reports from colleagues on the ground here.

Here are some highlights from today:

At the Security Council emergency meeting on DR Congo, head of UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, Bintou Keita says "we are trapped" and calls for immediate action to end the crisis

Ambassadors of Uruguay and South Africa, whose peacekeepers were recently killed by armed groups in DR Congo, appealed to the Security Council to protect UN troops

UN humanitarian coordinator in DR Congo raises fresh concerns on escalating violence

DR Congo's foreign minister tells the Security Council "the world is watching; it's time to act"

Nations of slain Blue Helmets urge Council to protect UN troops

Representatives of Uruguay and South Africa, whose peacekeepers were killed by armed groups in DR Congo, appealed to the Security Council to protect UN troops.

Humanitarian coordinator in DR Congo raises fresh concerns

The Humanitarian Coordinator in DR Congo, Bruno Lemarquis, expressed his profound concern regarding the intensification of ongoing fighting around the city of Goma and its growing impact on civilians.

Since the renewed M23 offensives near Goma on 23 January 2025, hundreds of thousands of people have once again been forced to flee multiple active conflict zones, with reception and assistance capacities already overstretched.

Several displacement sites on the outskirts of Goma, hosting more than 300,000 people, have been completely emptied within hours.

Humanitarian actors, including essential personnel who remain operational in Goma, are doing everything possible to address the needs of the most vulnerable civilians despite an alarming deterioration of security in displacement sites and certain neighborhoods of the city.

The proximity of fighting to densely populated areas and the use of heavy artillery impose intolerable risks on civilians. The emergency capacities of Goma's hospitals are overwhelmed, despite support from humanitarian actors.

"On behalf of the humanitarian community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I call on all parties to the conflict to immediately halt the military escalation. This violence exacerbates the suffering of populations in eastern DRC and worsens the already precarious conditions of civilians."

Rwanda says DR Congo cannot ‘outsource’ efforts to end conflict

Back in the Security Council Chamber, Rwanda’s representative said the recent militarisation of the DR Congo represents an unprecedented security threat to his country. The presence of Congolese forces and mercenaries “is unacceptable”, he said. Meanwhile, Rwanda is no threat to MONUSCO.

While UN forces were first deployed 26 years ago, MONUSCO is now going beyond its mandate, he said. The UN peacekeeping mission provides support to mercenaries and is being drawn into a conflict in violation of laws against supporting armed groups.

Indeed, the international community must take its share of the blame for the current conflict in its failure to ensure a resolution of the root causes and offer practical solutions, he added.

“We are committed to a peaceful solution,” he said. But, DR Congo has to play a constructive role and cannot “outsource” such efforts.

DR Congo’s foreign affairs minister: ‘The world is watching; it’s time to act’

Foreign Affairs Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner of DR Congo said Rwanda is planning “a brutality” against her country, bringing the region to the brink of tragedy.

“Each minute that is passing without decisive action by this Council is a victory for the aggressor,” she said. “The world is watching you. It’s time to act.”

Rwanda’s Defence Forces (RDF) have stepped up attacks, violating the ceasefire agreement, aggravating an already disastrous humanitarian situation.

In Goma, the RDF has blocked roads, endangered civilian and humanitarian flights and continue to attack camps for displaced persons, she said.

The Luanda Process, endorsed by the African Union, has been sabotaged by Rwanda, she stressed, highlighting the plundering of Congolese minerals and attacks on civilians, peacekeepers and humanitarians. DR Congo will reject any attempt to include M23 in the Luanda Process, which is an agreement between States.

The Security Council must not remain inactive, she said, calling on it to act decisively to, among other things, order the end of hostilities, demand a withdrawal of Rwanda troops on Congolese territory and apply relevant sanctions and an embargo on all minerals labeled as Rwandan.

She also called on the Council to establish a regime to address systematic violations of arms transfers to Rwanda and remove the country from its list of troop-contributing nations.

Crisis reaches dangerous point, says UN deputy relief chief

The UN Capital Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated $17 million towards immediate assistance.

Russia says conflict rooted in struggle over Congolese minerals

Russia’s ambassador condemned the M23’s actions and attacks on civilians and peacekeepers. The struggle to gain access to Congolese minerals is the root of the crisis, he said.

He called on countries with influence to use it to end the conflict.

At the same time, with other Council members, Russia would continue to try to find the right language to ensure the return to negotiations to realise that goal. Noting that instability in the Great Lakes region is a legacy of colonialism, he said Moscow will do “everything possible” to work to resolving the current crisis.

SOURCE UN News Centre