UN Renews Congo Peacekeeping Mission as Rwanda Urged to Withdraw

The United Nations Security Council has once again urged Rwanda to withdraw its forces from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and to stop supporting the armed group M23, while renewing the UN peacekeeping mission’s mandate for another year.

The unanimously adopted resolution extends the mission of MONUSCO, keeping roughly 11,500 troops on the ground as fighting continues despite a recent peace deal. The Security Council condemned a renewed offensive by M23 and demanded Rwanda pull its forces out of Congolese territory.

The decision comes after M23 claimed it had withdrawn from the strategic city of Uvira, which it seized during a recent offensive. Congolese authorities dismissed that claim as staged, saying rebel fighters remained in the city. The United States reinforced that position at the Security Council, calling for M23 to withdraw at least 75 kilometres from Uvira.

The fighting has unfolded even after a US mediated peace agreement was signed earlier this month in Washington by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents. The deal did not include M23, which is negotiating separately and is accused by both sides of violating previous ceasefire commitments. Under the agreement, Rwanda is expected to halt support for armed groups and work toward ending hostilities.

Congo, the United States and UN experts have repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing M23. According to the UN, the group has expanded dramatically over the past four years, growing from a few hundred fighters to an estimated 6,500. Eastern Congo, rich in minerals and permanently unstable, remains crowded with more than 100 armed groups competing for territory and resources.

The humanitarian cost continues to rise. The UN refugee agency estimates that more than seven million people have been displaced by the conflict, making it one of the world’s largest and most prolonged humanitarian crises.

MONUSCO has been present in Congo since 2010, tasked with protecting civilians and supporting state authority. Yet frustration among Congolese civilians has grown, with repeated protests accusing the mission of failing to stop rebel violence. At Congo’s request, the Security Council agreed in 2023 to gradually draw down the force and transfer security responsibilities to the government led by Félix Tshisekedi.

So here we are again. Another resolution. Another extension. Another firm demand for withdrawal. Another reminder that minerals keep flowing while civilians keep fleeing. Eastern Congo remains a place where statements are strong, timelines are flexible, and consequences are… negotiable.

Yet even in this familiar cycle, the story is not finished. Africa’s conflicts are not frozen in time, and neither are its people. Pressure, accountability and regional responsibility still matter. The continent is young, its states still evolving, and its future is not defined by endless missions or recycled resolutions, but by the choices made next and the courage to finally act on them.