The United Nations Security Council has urged Rwanda to immediately withdraw its forces from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and to halt all support for the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, as fighting in the region intensifies despite a recent peace agreement. In a unanimously adopted resolution on Friday, the Council condemned the latest offensive by M23 and renewed the mandate of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, MONUSCO, for another year. The extension keeps approximately 11,500 U.N. troops in the country amid worsening insecurity.
The resolution comes against the backdrop of renewed clashes in eastern Congo, where M23 claimed on Wednesday to have withdrawn from the strategic city of Uvira, which it seized last week. However, the Congolese government dismissed the claim as “staged,” insisting that rebel fighters remain in the city.
Addressing the Security Council, U.S. Deputy Ambassador Jennifer Locetta said M23 must immediately pull back at least 75 kilometers (47 miles) from Uvira to de-escalate tensions and allow humanitarian access.
M23 captured Uvira in a deadly offensive last week, despite a U.S.-mediated peace accord signed earlier this month in Washington by the presidents of Congo and Rwanda. Although the agreement does not include M23—currently negotiating separately with the Congolese government—it obliges Rwanda to end support for armed groups and work toward halting hostilities.
Congo, the United States and U.N. experts have repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing M23, allegations Kigali denies. According to the United Nations, the rebel group has expanded dramatically from a few hundred fighters in 2021 to an estimated 6,500 combatants today.
Eastern Congo remains one of Africa’s most volatile regions, with more than 100 armed groups competing for control in mineral-rich areas near the Rwandan border. The conflict has fueled one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, displacing over 7 million people, according to the U.N. refugee agency.
MONUSCO has been deployed in Congo since 2010, tasked with protecting civilians and humanitarian workers and supporting government stabilization efforts. However, growing frustration among Congolese communities over continued rebel attacks has sparked protests against the mission, some of which have turned deadly.
In 2023, at the request of the Congolese government, the Security Council voted unanimously to gradually draw down MONUSCO and transfer security responsibilities to national authorities—a process now facing renewed uncertainty as violence escalates.
Prime Africa News will continue to monitor developments in eastern Congo as regional and international efforts to restore peace face mounting challenges.
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