UN Envoy Warns of Intensified Fighting in Eastern Congo Before Security Council

James Swan, the head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), has alerted the UN Security Council to an escalation of fighting in the country's volatile eastern region. He described the security situation as complex, volatile, and devastating for the local populations.

Swan reported that clashes have intensified between the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC)/M23 group, reportedly backed by the Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF), and the Congolese army (FARDC), along with allied militias known as Wazalendo and, in some areas, the FDLR. Key areas of tension include Rubaya in North Kivu, the Rutshuru region, and the South Kivu highlands, particularly around Minembwe.

The combatants are employing advanced weaponry, including offensive drones and heavy artillery. Swan emphasized that this escalation significantly increases the risks to civilians and critical infrastructure. The use of such armaments underscores the severity of the ongoing conflict.

Despite the ongoing fighting, the AFC/M23 group has reportedly made partial withdrawals from certain areas in North and South Kivu. However, Swan noted that the group simultaneously continues to implement parallel administrative structures in the territories it currently controls, indicating a persistent effort to assert governance in these regions.