MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the escalation of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo – B10-0133/2025

B10‑0133/2025

European Parliament resolution on the escalation of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

(2025/2553(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),

– having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the security situation, including the human rights situation, is deteriorating even further in the DRC, especially in the eastern parts of the country and specifically in the provinces of North and South Kivu; whereas North and South Kivu have endured long-lasting conflicts for over two decades; whereas severe human rights violations have been committed in the region;

B. whereas the Rwandan-backed Tutsi rebel group M23 launched a military operation on 18 January 2025 to expand its territory in North and South Kivu; whereas this attack violates a ceasefire agreement concluded between Rwanda and the DRC as part of the Luanda Peace Process; whereas on 21 January 2025, M23 claimed to have captured several towns, including the strategically important trading town Minova;

C. whereas on 24 January 2025, intense fighting occurred near Sake, where the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), supported by the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), UN forces (MONUSCO) and a coalition of militia groups, attempted to prevent M23 from advancing towards and capturing Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu; whereas FARDC Major General Peter Cirimwami, who was also the military governor of North Kivu, was fatally shot on the same day; whereas several South African and Malawian soldiers have reportedly been killed in the recent conflict while serving with SAMIDRC; whereas numerous UN peacekeepers have been killed in the DRC and many more have been injured;

D. whereas on 30 January 2025, Goma fell under M23 control after several days of fighting in the city; whereas M23 has vowed to ‘march all the way to Kinshasa’; whereas M23 is advancing towards Bukavu in South Kivu; whereas on 3 February 2025, M23 declared a ceasefire for ‘humanitarian reasons’; whereas Goma Airport remains closed, leaving no entry point for humanitarian aid; whereas Goma is experiencing a total blackout, with no access to running water, electricity or the internet; whereas M23 is illegally occupying Goma; whereas M23 is deliberately destroying vital infrastructure;

E. whereas M23’s occupation of Goma will have severe humanitarian consequences for civilians; whereas the Congolese authorities have reported a high risk of a cholera outbreak; whereas bombs and artillery are being used in densely populated areas; whereas statements by Congolese officials indicate that the streets of Goma are filled with rotting bodies; whereas doctors in Goma are overwhelmed and unable to provide adequate care; whereas M23 has already carried out multiple summary executions, used forced labour and forcibly recruited civilians to join it and commit atrocities on its behalf; whereas both M23 and the FARDC have used rape as a weapon of war; whereas the UN reports that more than 100 female prisoners were raped and burned alive during a jailbreak in Goma; whereas this conflict has significantly increased gender-based violence; whereas M23 is deliberately targeting refugee camps full of displaced civilians, including women and children, which constitutes a war crime; whereas the exact number of displaced people in North Kivu is unconfirmed, but is estimated to be at least 2.4 million;

F. whereas it is widely known that M23 is backed by Rwanda and its forces; whereas this conflict has its roots in the Rwandan civil war; whereas medical staff can only access Goma through Rwanda; whereas Rwanda has never sent medical experts to Goma; whereas Rwanda is benefiting from this conflict, particularly economically;

G. whereas the DRC is rich in various minerals and other natural resources; whereas M23 is illegally mining these resources and exporting them to Rwanda; whereas M23 is exploiting forced and child labour in the process; whereas this conflict can also be viewed as an economic war driven by these resources; whereas, in the current geopolitical climate, a number of actors are seeking access to resources in other countries; whereas the potential escalation of the conflict in the DRC could pose a serious threat to the entire African continent, given the current geopolitical situation in the region;

H. whereas in February 2024, the EU and Rwanda signed a memorandum of understanding on sustainable raw materials value chains; whereas critics say that the deal facilitates the smuggling of conflict minerals from the DRC, further fuels the conflict and helps to finance armed groups in the eastern DRC;

1. Expresses deep concern about the escalation of violence and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the DRC, caused by the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group; strongly condemns the brutal atrocities committed by M23 in the DRC and Rwanda’s support for the group; demands that Rwanda and all other potential state actors in the region cease their support for M23; demands that M23 withdraw from the territories it has unlawfully gained and return them to the DRC; reminds all parties that territorial integrity must be upheld; demands that M23 immediately stop illegally mining Congolese minerals and resources and sending them to Rwanda; demands the disarmament and dismantling of M23; urges all state parties involved to ensure that any political settlement does not include pardons for individuals who are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity;

2. Deplores the fact that millions of civilians have been affected by this conflict, leaving them displaced and in need of humanitarian aid; expresses deep concern over the number of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the DRC;

3. Demands that the safety of civilians be ensured; demands that medical staff be granted full access to Goma; emphasises the need for a thorough investigation into the crimes committed by M23 and its supporters;

4. Underlines its support for the DRC in its legitimate fight against M23 and other armed groups, and calls on the international community to increase pressure on Rwanda and M23;

5. Insists that all EU-funded humanitarian aid must be directed towards helping the most vulnerable people in the eastern DRC, such as women and children, who have suffered the most; stresses that North and South Kivu should be given higher priority for the allocation of EU-funded development aid;

6. Urges the EU and its Member States to adopt sanctions under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime against all the Rwandan officials and authorities responsible for supporting M23; calls for the sanctions against M23 commanders to be maintained and extended further to include those newly found responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity;

7. Calls for the EU, its Member States and other democratic Western countries to increase their diplomatic visibility and strengthen their economic and strategic influence in the region, which has large quantities of crucial minerals and other vital resources, to ensure that other authoritarian actors cannot further destabilise the area; calls for the EU to guarantee the traceability of minerals imported from Rwanda and to ensure that there is no trade in conflict minerals from the eastern DRC;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European External Action Service, the African Union, the Joint Council of Ministers and Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the EU, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and the governments and parliaments of Rwanda, the DRC and the other countries of the East African Community.