UN official warns Security Council of DR Congo crisis amid ongoing violence News
Kudra_Abdulaziz / Pixabay
UN official warns Security Council of DR Congo crisis amid ongoing violence

A senior UN official told the UN Security Council on Thursday that the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to face an “extremely tense” security and political situation.

Vivian van de Perre, the interim head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), expressed the urgent need to protect civilian lives. Moreover, she noted three critical requirements: a credible ceasefire, the reopening of the Goma airport, and ongoing humanitarian access.

The DRC has experienced several recent conflicts. In 2025, the M23 rebel group took control of important cities including Goma and Bukavu, and the conflict resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of individuals and the deaths of thousands of civilians. The DRC government later accused Rwanda of backing M23, causing tensions.

Accordingly, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2808 on December 19, 2025, to extend MONUSCO’s operational authority until December 20, 2026. The resolution required an evaluation of the ceasefire oversight mechanism developed through the Doha negotiations between the DRC government and M23 rebels, and it demanded recommendations for MONUSCO to implement permanent ceasefire operations throughout North Kivu and South Kivu. The Kivu region experienced ongoing violent conflicts, which resulted in multiple clashes throughout the area. The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) launched attacks in new territories while they carried out their operations through drone strikes and GPS signal jamming techniques.

Regardless of these challenges, the UN has expressed that it remains committed to its mission and its diplomatic efforts. It continues to protect civilians, including sheltering nearly 3,000 individuals who fled violence by rebel militias in Djaiba village and sought refuge at the UN’s Fataki base. The mission supports its operations through 204 patrols, which allow 18000 farmers to conduct safe crop harvesting and transportation activities.

Rights groups have reported serious human rights abuses by both armed groups and government forces. Since December 2025, 173 cases of conflict-related sexual violence have been confirmed, affecting 111 victims, mostly women and girls.

The DRC faces critical humanitarian needs as 6.4 million people remain displaced and 26.6 million people, or nearly one quarter of the population, will experience food insecurity during the current year.

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