The United Nations officials stationed in Africa have expressed grave concerns during an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council about the ongoing offensive led by rebels in eastern Congo, who are reportedly backed by Rwanda. They have indicated that this situation poses serious risks to the stability of the broader region.
“It is crucial for this council to act swiftly and decisively to prevent the escalation into a larger regional conflict,” stated Bintou Keita, the U.N. special envoy for Congo.
In recent weeks, the M23 rebel group has managed to capture key cities in eastern Congo. The comments made by various stakeholders suggest that “the threat of a widespread regional conflict is more imminent than it has ever been,” according to Huang Xia, the U.N. special envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa, which includes not only Congo but also Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda.
France’s ambassador to the U.N., Nicolas De Riviere, has called on the Security Council to promptly pass a draft resolution that his nation introduced two weeks ago. This resolution emphasizes the need to uphold Congo’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, calls for an immediate halt to the M23 offensive, demands the withdrawal of Rwandan forces, and advocates for the resumption of peace negotiations.
“The likelihood of a regional war is escalating every day,” he remarked.
The M23 is one of more than a hundred armed groups contending for dominance over the vast mineral resources in eastern Congo, which is rich in gold and coltan—an essential component in modern electronics such as laptops and smartphones.
Reports from U.N. specialists indicate that the rebels are aided by approximately 4,000 troops from Rwanda and have expressed intentions to advance as far as Kinshasa, the capital of Congo, which is located more than 1,000 miles from the conflict zone.
Over a rapid three-week campaign, the M23 has taken control of Goma, the main city in eastern Congo, and recently captured Bukavu, the region’s second-largest city, just a few days ago.
Keita, who also oversees the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, informed the Security Council that the M23 continues to make advances, having recently taken over the town of Kamanyola, situated at the meeting point of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi.
At this point, the U.N. lacks clarity regarding the M23’s ultimate goals, the motivations of their supporters, or the extent of their ambitions, as mentioned by Huang, the Great Lakes envoy.
“This crisis must be resolved swiftly to prevent the eruption of a widespread regional war, the consequences of which would be catastrophic and would undermine the significant progress made in the past decade toward achieving stability in central Africa,” Huang cautioned.
Additionally, this month, the U.N. Human Rights Council initiated a commission tasked with investigating claims of severe human rights abuses, which include allegations of rape and extrajudicial killings by both sides involved in the conflict.
