International group calls for end to fighting in eastern Congo and compliance with peace deals
Eleven countries and the European Union are urging the parties to the conflict in eastern Congo to halt the violence and honor their commitments. They warn about the growing use of drones.
Key points
- The United States, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the European Union, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom signed the statement.
- They call on the parties to comply with the Washington Accords and the Doha Framework, and to respect the ceasefire agreed in Doha on July 19, 2025.
- They reject pursuing political objectives through violence by the newly created Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN).
- They warn about the growing use of drones, with grave consequences for civilians and humanitarian workers.
The International Contact Group for the Great Lakes Region (ICG), chaired by France, issued a joint statement on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is signed by the United States, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the European Union, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
The group calls on all parties to honor the Washington Accords and the Doha Framework and to pursue a lasting, peaceful solution to the conflict. It supports the efforts of mediators, including those of the African Union, led by the President of the Council of the Togolese Republic.
The statement rejects the pursuit of political objectives through violence, in reference to the recently created Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN). It stresses that political differences cannot be resolved by military means and that a peaceful and inclusive inter-Congolese dialogue is necessary.
The ICG expresses deep concern over the continued fighting in the east of the country and deplores the suffering of civilians. It calls for respect of the ceasefire agreed in Doha on July 19, 2025, and recalls UN Security Council Resolution 2773, which calls on the Rwanda Defence Forces to cease support to the M23 and withdraw from Congolese territory without preconditions, dismantle illegitimate parallel administrations, and neutralize the FDLR.
Given rising humanitarian needs and the Ebola epidemic, the group urges all parties and armed groups to respect international humanitarian law and to ensure humanitarian actors have safe and unimpeded access to populations in need.