Huang Xia, Special Envoy of UN Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region, United Nations, 15 March 2026 -

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Democratic Republic Of Congo

Top United Nations officials on Wednesday warned that tensions in the Great Lakes region between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi remain acute.

Speaking at a Security Council meeting, they said the humanitarian and security situations have worsened to a “worrisome level" despite intensified diplomatic initiatives.

“The risk of a slide into a regional confrontation remains tangible. This Council cannot afford to see the repetition of a cycle of violence it has been examining for far too long,” said Huang Xia, Special Envoy of UN Secretary-General for the region.

“The continued erosion of trust between actors in the region explains in part the ongoing divide between political commitments and the reality on the ground. This disconnect remains our main collective challenge.”

The warning came as a new memorandum of understanding was signed in Switzerland between Kinshasa and the AFC-M23 armed movement for the implementation of truce monitoring in the east of the country.

A framework agreement was signed in Doha last year and validated in December, but fighting in the region between the two sides has continued with both accusing the other of violating truce agreements.

The AFC/M23 rebel coalition has seized large swathes of territory in the eastern DRC since the start of 2025.

It has taken key cities, including Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, and Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu.

UN warns that Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi still have serious problems

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