The UN’s acting top envoy for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) on Thursday warned the UN Security Council that the conflict in the nation is escalating and expanding, with increasing use of heavy weapons and offensive drones posing serious risks to civilians.
Deputy Special Representative Vivian van de Perre said that despite the withdrawal of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and their allies from the town of Uvira under international pressure in January, clashes are escalating in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu between the M23 and Congolese army forces and their supporters.
“The situation in South Kivu remains tense, and the renewed hostilities have expanded and shifted the front lines, including toward Burundi’s border, increasing the risk of a regional conflagration,” Van de Perre said.
Photo: AFP
Eastern DR Congo has been battered by decades of unrest as government forces fight more than 100 armed groups, the most potent being M23, often over access to the nation’s mineral riches. M23 fighters made a major advance into the region early last year, seizing Goma and other key cities as they quickly expanded their presence.
Van de Perre, who heads the UN peacekeeping force in DR Congo known as MONUSCO, said that the situation in Ituri province also “remains alarming,” with numerous casualties from violence linked to one rebel group, while another group has been attacking mining sites.
She cited two “concerning” emerging elements: The conflict is expanding from North and South Kivu into Tshopo province, and the use of heavy weapons and drones in urban areas poses risks to civilians and civilian infrastructure, which she said includes “recent incidents affecting sites such as Bangoka airport in Kisangani and in Goma town.”
At the same time, M23 is consolidating parallel administrative structures in areas under its control, which include Goma, “further undermining state authority and complicating the delivery of humanitarian assistance,” she said.
Officials from DR Congo, Rwanda and the US met in Washington last week and agreed on coordinated steps to de-escalate tensions in the nation’s east.
After briefing the council, Van de Perre told reporters that the “extremely volatile” situation in the east is why all agreements signed by the parties must be implemented.
The first step should be a ceasefire, followed by the restoration of freedom of movement for peacekeepers, she said.
Massad Boulos, who chaired the meeting and is a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump on African and Arab affairs, said that “MONUSCO remains indispensable to the success of the peace process.”
Resolving the conflict in eastern DR Congo is “a matter of highest priority” for Trump, Boulos said.
He echoed Van de Perre’s call for the parties to stick to their obligations and commitments, including respecting a ceasefire.
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