The recent surge in hostilities has occurred over the last two weeks, despite a framework peace deal agreed upon in Doha late last year. Intense fighting was reported around Mulima village in Fizi on July 4 and 5. Türk specifically urged the Congolese armed forces and M23 to step back from further violence and take meaningful steps to protect civilians in Mulima and the wider Fizi and Mwenga plateau region. He emphasized that the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas has devastating consequences and must stop.
Peace Monitoring Mechanism Under Negotiation
While diplomatic efforts continue, the military situation on the ground remains fragile. Negotiations between the DRC government and the M23 rebel coalition, part of the wider Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), began on Monday in Switzerland. Mediated by the United States and Qatar, these talks represent the latest effort to curb deadly fighting that has persisted since the December peace accord.
An interim peace monitoring mechanism was signed during these talks. The agreement establishes a body designed to track humanitarian and security developments and monitor potential ceasefire violations. The mechanism will include representatives from both the DRC government and the armed group, with support from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). However, both sides continue to accuse each other of violating truce agreements, with clashes reportedly spilling into the South Kivu highlands.
Regional Tensions and Humanitarian Impact
The conflict in South Kivu, a border region rich in gold, tin ore, and coltan reserves, is part of a struggle that has ebbed and flowed since M23 reemerged in 2021 and seized large chunks of territory. The region has been plagued by conflict for decades, rooted in the aftermath of the Rwandan civil war and the genocide of the early 1990s. Rwanda and the DRC have a tense shared history, with Kigali heavily involved in the First and Second Congo Wars between 1997 and 2003.
Türk’s office also urged Rwanda to cease its support for M23 and to withdraw its troops from the DRC. Simultaneously, the DRC was urged to scale up efforts to demobilize, disarm, and repatriate members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). The UN suspects both sides of being guilty of war crimes in the recent fighting. Civilians in areas such as Minembwe in South Kivu province remain caught in the middle of the battle between different groups, highlighting the severe humanitarian consequences of the ongoing conflict.
