The United Nations envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, DR Congo) has warned the Security Council (UN-SC) on Wednesday that the security situation in the eastern part of the country has "deteriorated considerably" in recent months and that the humanitarian situation has become "increasingly dramatic". Following the briefing, the UN-SC adopted a presidential statement, strongly condemning the increase in attacks by the “Mouvement du 23 mars” (M23) rebel group in North Kivu province.
The United Nations says more than 100,000 people have been displaced last week following clashes between the Congolese armed forces and the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23) rebel group in North Kivu province in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, DR Congo). Since early March, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group has reportedly killed at least 97 civilians in the Beni territory, also in North Kivu Province.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has expressed great alarm today as violent clashes between non-state armed groups and government forces drive hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, DR Congo). In February alone, nearly 300,000 people fled across Rutshuru and Masisi territories in North Kivu Province, UNHCR said.
A ceasefire between the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23) rebel group and the Congolese army has come into effect today in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, DR Congo). The truce in the eastern part of the country was agreed and announced on Friday after talks between the armed group and Angolan President and African Union mediator João Lourenço.
The United Nations report that fighting continues between the Congolese army and the “Mouvement du 23 mars” (M23) rebel group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s North Kivu Province. A United Nations spokesman also said Monday that at least 32 civilians have been killed in two separate attacks by other rebel groups in neighboring Ituri province.
East African head of states have renewed their call for an immediate ceasefire by all parties in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, DR Congo). The call came at an extra-ordinary summit in Burundi’s capital Bujumbura on Saturday. The leaders of the East African Community (EAC) also demanded the withdrawal of all foreign armed troops.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has expressed deep concern about the escalation of brutal attacks on civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC, DR Congo). Attacks by non-state armed groups have killed hundreds of civilians and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in search of safety. In a press briefing today in Geneva, UNHCR also said that humanitarian actors and civilians should not be targeted in armed conflict and called on all warring parties to respect the civilian and humanitarian character of sites for displaced people.
Mass graves containing the bodies of 49 civilians have been discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC, DRC), according to the United Nations (UN). The graves were found in two villages in Ituri province in the eastern part of the country by peacekeepers of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), a United Nations spokesperson in New York said on Wednesday.
The European Union (EU) has firmly urged Rwanda to stop supporting the “Mouvement du 23 mars” (M23) armed group in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC, DR Congo). The call came Saturday as part of a statement by Josep Borrell, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on behalf of the EU.
A third round of peace talks for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC, DR Congo) has ended today in Nairobi with no reported progress toward settling conflicts in the country’s volatile eastern provinces. The talks, facilitated by the East African Community (EAC), are coming to an end as the Congolese government accuses the “Mouvement du 23 mars” (M23) armed group of killing at least 270 civilians in DR Congo’s North-Kivu province.
Over 200,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in Rutshuru Territory in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s North-Kivu province, since renewed fighting between the Congolese army and the “Mouvement du 23 mars” (M23) armed group broke out on 20 October, the United Nations report this week. While at least 188,000 men, women and children are now internally displaced, more than 16,500 others have sought refuge in Uganda.
The United Nations (UN) says ongoing fighting in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, DR Congo) has forced about 50,000 men, women and children to flee their homes since hostilities resumed on October 20. The estimate includes some 12,000 people who have sought safety in neighboring Uganda. Over the weekend, violent clashes between the Congolese armed forces and the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23) militia in North Kivu province has led to additional internal displacement towards the UN peacekeeping base in Kiwanja.
The United Nations (UN) estimates at least 23,000 people have been displaced by renewed violence between the Congolese army and fighters from the M23 armed group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s North-Kivu province. The estimate includes some 2,500 men, women and children who have crossed into neighboring Uganda.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is alarmed by a surge of deadly intercommunal violence which has displaced nearly 30,000 people since July in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s western locality of Kwamouth. According to a media briefing Tuesday, clashes started over customary taxes on agricultural land use between the Teke and Yaka communities. More than 142 people have been reportedly killed, including some who were beheaded.
The people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are suffering from one of the most complex and protracted humanitarian crises, with 21.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2025. At the same time, the DRC faces one of the world's most neglected displacement crises, with more than 8 million women, children, and men in the country forced to flee their homes. For decades, the DR Congo has endured multiple, overlapping crises, mainly driven by conflict and forced displacement, both of which are having devastating consequences. Since the start of 2025, the longstanding instability and insecurity in eastern DRC has escalated as the M23 rebel group stepped up fighting and seized large territory in North and South Kivu provinces.
The situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was the most neglected displacement crisis in the world in 2021, according to a report by the non-governmental organization Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). The analysis, released June 1, lists the top ten least noticed displacement crises in the world in 2021.