Humanitarian aid workers warn that the recent influx of Congolese refugees to neighboring Burundi has exposed women and children to “distress, despair, and exhaustion” amid food insecurity in overcrowded camps (BBC)
Washington: M23 Remains in Uvira
According to an unnamed senior official, American diplomats are unconvinced that Rwandan-backed rebels have fully vacated the key stronghold they promised to leave last week (Reuters)
Museveni Hosts Security Summit
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni invited regional envoys to discuss the Great Lakes security crisis in a bid to advance African-led diplomatic efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict (African Union)
The UN Security Council condemned Kigali for its continued support of M23 militants amid the group’s siege on Uvira, a move that threatens to destabilize Washington-led peace negotiations (Al Jazeera)
UN Reauthorizes Congo Security Mission
The UN Security Council extended its mandate for the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC through the end of the new year; the resolution maintains existing troop levels in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri (UN)
Before the recent surge in violence, UN officials hoped to scale down its peacekeeping mission in eastern DRC (RFI)
Human rights observers estimate 84,000 Congolese civilians have crossed the Burundian border on foot and in boats since Rwandan-backed militants launched their latest offensive in eastern DRC (Al Jazeera)
M23 Launches Uvira Withdrawal
The Rwandan-backed rebel group promised its forces would be entirely out of the coastal chokepoint by the end of the week, though residents reported that troops remained in the city center (BBC)
Congolese Rebel Sentenced for War Crimes
France sentenced Roger Lumbala, the head of a Rwandan-backed militia during the Second Congo War, to thirty years in prison for his crimes against humanity—among them aiding and abetting torture—during the conflict (BBC)
M23 Agrees to Uvira Withdrawal
A week after the Rwandan-backed militia captured the coastal town, its leaders said their departure was a gesture of goodwill toward Washington (NYT)
The move is intended to strengthen fraught negotiations between Kigali and Kinshasa (France24)
M23 Rebels Withdraw From Uvira
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels will withdraw from the DRC city of Uvira—which the group recently invaded—after a request from Washington, a rebel leader wrote on social media (FT)
M23 aims to give a Qatar-mediated peace process with the DRC “the maximum chance to succeed,” the statement said, but it added that the rebel withdrawal was contingent on factors like the deployment of a force to monitor a ceasefire (X)
Burundian Soldiers Captured in Uvira
Rwandan-backed rebel officials reported that M23 militants are holding “hundreds” of Burundian soldiers in the coastal town of Uvira, near the Burundian-Congolese border (Reuters)
Expert: Rebel Siege on Uvira Intended to “Humiliate” Washington
Canadian professor Jason Stearns said Rwandan-backed rebels seized Uvira, a key stronghold in eastern DRC, in a misguided effort to gain leverage in ongoing negotiations (BBC)
Rubio Reprimands Rwandans
In a social media post, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Rwanda’s military operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s unstable eastern regions continue to jeopardize reconciliation efforts (Reuters)
M23 Rebels Advance on Uvira
The push has sent thousands fleeing across the border into Burundi (BBC)
After Congo’s communication minister blamed Rwanda for the most recent fighting yesterday, the Rwandan foreign ministry denied responsibility in a statement today, instead accusing the DRC and Burundi of bombing civilian villages close to the Rwandan border (X)
International Contact Group Warns of Escalation in South Kivu
The joint statement from the United States and partner countries, known as the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes region, said an increased use of attack and suicide drones marked “a significant escalation in the fighting and poses an acute risk to civilian populations;” it also warned that the fighting has the potential to destabilize the entire region (State)
Monitoring groups already deem the conflict one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with more than eight million people displaced (UNHCR)
Congo’s communication minister blamed Rwanda for the most recent fighting (AP)
Fighting Intensifies in South Kivu
At least seventy-four people have been killed, and two hundred thousand people have fled fighting in recent days, the United Nations said (UN)
Fighting in Eastern Congo Despite New Peace Deal
The clashes erupted in North and South Kivu just hours after Congolese and Rwandan leaders signed U.S.-brokered agreements in Washington, with M23 rebels and government forces trading accusations of airstrikes and civilian casualties (Reuters)
The fighting occurred near the border town of Kamanyola and pushed hundreds of Congolese refugees to cross into Rwanda (Guardian)
DRC, Rwanda Sign Peace Agreement in Washington
The leaders of the DRC and Rwanda signed a peace deal in Washington, a symbolic cap to the agreement that Trump helped broker in June (State)
The deal calls for a permanent ceasefire, the disarmament of non-state forces, provisions for refugees to return to their homes, justice and accountability for those who have committed “illegal atrocities,” and a new framework for economic prosperity (BBC)
However, questions remain about its implementation, and violence continues in the eastern Congo between the Congolese army and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels (Amnesty)
While a Rwandan government spokesperson told NPR the agreement was not a “magic wand,” she said “there have been important steps” since the deal was reached in June (NPR)
Trump also announced that the United States would sign bilateral agreements with the two countries to purchase natural resources (Al Jazeera)
Congo and M23 Rebels Trade Accusations Ahead of Peace Deal Signing
Both sides accused each other of launching new attacks in South Kivu, alleging attempts to undermine upcoming U.S.- and Qatar-mediated peace agreements; the exchange unfolded as Washington prepared to host Congolese and Rwandan leaders for a formal accord to end fighting in the east (Reuters)
Burundi, Kenya Invited to Washington as Guarantors of Peace Deal
As the Trump administration prepares to host the signing of a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda later this week, invitations have been extended to other regional countries to serve as witnesses; Burundi and Kenya have confirmed their attendance, and African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmouud Youssouf is also expected to participate (EastAfrican)
End To Ebola Outbreak in Congo
The outbreak in Kasai province formally ended after forty-five days without new cases; the virus killed forty-three individuals since the outbreak was announced in September (AP)
Boat Capsizing Kills Nineteen
Provincial officials said strong winds caused a passenger vessel bound for Kinshasa from the town of Kiri to overturn on Lake Mai-Ndombe; dozens were rescued, as authorities caution against overcrowding and poor boat conditions (Reuters)
Congo-Rwanda Peace Deals
Sources suggested that Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame will visit Washington on December 4 to formally ratify two recent U.S.-mediated agreements aimed at ending fighting in eastern Congo, even as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels continue territorial gains; the agreements have thus far had limited impact on the ground (Reuters)
Deadly Militia Attack Near Kinshasa
Armed assailants linked to the local Mobondo militia, which claims to defend the Yaka ethnic group, raided the village of Nkana northeast of Kinshasa, killing fourteen people and torching homes, as land disputes between Teke and Yaka communities continue to drive deadly violence across the capital’s outskirts (AP)
ADF Rebels Kill Dozens of Civilians in Eastern Congo
The UN mission said fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces, which is linked to the self-proclaimed Islamic State, carried out coordinated attacks across North Kivu between November 13 and 19, killing eighty-nine civilians, including women and children, while also abducting residents and looting medical supplies (Reuters)
Congo Extends Limits on Mineral Trade
The mines ministry extended restrictions on sourcing tin, tantalum, and tungsten from thirty-eight sites in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, citing evidence that illegal mineral flows are financing armed groups, including Rwanda-backed M23 fighters and other rebel groups, tightening control over resource-rich areas (Reuters)