50 leading civil society and peacebuilding organisations have urged members of the United Nations Security Council to act on the ongoing crisis in eastern DRC ahead of December’s presidential elections.
Nearly a million people have been displaced by the conflict in 2023 alone. Sexual and gender-based violence is widespread. The presence of armed groups and the unabated flow of arms are contributing to a highly precarious and volatile situation.
With elections scheduled for 20 December, there are serious concerns that the crisis could deteriorate into disaster. Intimidation and insecurity raise frustrations and threaten the credibility of the elections in the eastern provinces.
The UN Security Council has made efforts to support peace processes, but these have stalled. The signatories to the open letter, which include DRC national NGOs and INGOs including International Alert, Oxfam and Action Aid, call on the Security Council members to urgently:
- press regional stakeholders to prioritise peace over short-term political interests;
- make peace processes genuinely inclusive of civil society, in particular women, young people and people living in the eastern provinces;
- guarantee international support for peacebuilding alongside humanitarian responses; and
- ensure that civil society is consulted in the process of the MONUSCO withdrawal.
Nic Hailey, International Alert Executive Director, said:
“The conflict in eastern DRC has fallen off the world’s radar. Its impact on millions of people is devastating, and there is a real risk of further escalation with elections this month.
“Many of those in power across the region benefit from this crisis, and from the conflict economy it has spawned. This must stop, and urgently. UN Security Council members need to put the needs and voices of the people of eastern DRC at the top of their agenda, and take the actions needed to support peace.”
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