COMMUNIQUE

Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) at its 1323^rd meeting held on 29 December 2025 at the Ministerial level, on the Situation in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The Peace and Security Council,

Recalling its previous decisions and pronouncements on the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), particularly Communiqués [PSC/HoSG/COMM.1261.2 (2025)], adopted at its 1261st meeting held at the level of Heads of State and Government on 14 February 2025; [PSC/MIN/COMM.1256 (2025)] adopted by the PSC at its emergency meeting held on 28 January 2025; [PSC/HoSG/COMM.1140 (2023)] adopted at its 1140^th meeting held at the level of Heads of State and Government, on 17 February 2023; [PSC/PR/COMM.1203.2 (2024)] adopted at its 1203rd meeting held on 4 March 2024 and [PSC/MIN/COMM.1222 (2024)] adopted at its 1222nd meeting held on 15 July 2024;

Underscoring the AU principles as stipulated in Article 4 of the Constitutive Act, and the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, in particular, non-interference by any Member State in the internal affairs of another; peaceful coexistence of Member States and their right to live in peace and security;

Reaffirming the solidarity of the AU with the people and the Government of the DRC in their aspirations for durable peace, security, and sustainable development, as well as the continued commitment of the AU to respect the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of the DRC;

Taking note of the opening remarks by H.E.Kacou?HouadjaLéon?Adom, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire and Chairperson of the PSC for December 2025, and the Introductory Statement by H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the AU Commission;

Also taking note of the statements by H.E. Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophonie of the Democratic Republic of Congo; by H.E. Olivier Jean Patrick Nduhungirehe, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Rwanda; by the representative of H.E. Robert Dussey, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, African Integration, and Togolese Abroad, representing the AU Mediator for the Conflict in Eastern DRC; and

Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council;

1. Expresses grave concern over the escalation of the conflict in eastern DRC particularly the offensive launched by the M23 and its supporters in the past weeks, capturing among others the city of Uvira which resulted in casualties amongst civilians, as well as worsening humanitarian situation in the region;

2. Also notes with deep concern the increasing tensions between the DRC and Rwanda; and encourages the two sisterly countries to uphold the AU principle of good neighbourliness and to persevere in the pursuit of peaceful means of addressing the challenges between them; and calls for the renewed commitment of both countries to implement the recently signed Agreements in good faith;

3. Condemns the use of hate speech and the ideology of hate in the conflict and requests the Commission through the AU Special Envoy on the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities, to investigate these trends and report back to Council;

4. Strongly condemns the continued heinous attacks by the M23, particularly in North and South Kivu areas, which resulted in the loss of lives, injuries, and displacement, especially of women and children, as well as the gross violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL) and warns that those concerned will be held accountable for their actions;

5. Also strongly condemns the attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which have worsened the insecurity and suffering of the population in the region;

6. Reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of all foreign and/or other military support to the M23, ADF, FDLR and any other armed group operating in eastern DRC and reaffirms its demand for the immediate cessation of such support by all external parties/forces;

7. Also reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of the activities of all armed groups operating in eastern DRC, including the AFC/M23, ADF, FDLR and other militias, and categorically demands an immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities and withdrawal of all uninvited foreign forces, armed groups and terrorist groups from all occupied areas and from the territory of the DRC;

8. In particular, strongly condemns the recent escalation of violence, including the seizure of Uvira by the AFC/M23 and the resulting civilian casualties, displacement and heightened risk of regional destabilization; in this regard, calls for the swift and full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2773 (2025) by all concerned parties;

9. Demands the immediate and full withdrawal of AFC/M23 from Uvira and all occupied areas in eastern DRC, while taking note of the announcement made on 16 December 2025 regarding the withdrawal of AFC/M23 forces from Uvira; stresses that such steps must be verifiable, sustained and accompanied by full respect for ceasefire commitments, civilian protection and humanitarian access;

10. In this regard, urges the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) to operationalize the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus (EJVM +) envisaged in the Doha ceasefire, Oversight and Verification Mechanism of 14 October 2025;

11. Strongly condemns the establishment of parallel administrative structures in territories under the control of armed groups, declare such actions null and devoid of any legal effect, and strongly discourages all Member States, particularly, the neighbouring countries of the region, from providing any form of engagement with or recognition of such parallel structures;

12. Highly commends the efforts of the Chairperson of the AU Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, including his recent engagements in Kinshasa; and endorses the consolidation of the African-led mediation, in coordination with the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC); including the merger of the Nairobi and Luanda Processes, the appointment of the AU Mediator, H.E. Faure Gnassingbe, President of the Council of Minister of the Togolese Republic, and the establishment of the Five-Member Panel of Facilitators, comprising former Presidents; namely, H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya); H.E. Mokgweetsi Masisi (Botswana); H.E. Catherine Samba-Panza (Central African Republic); and H.E. Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia), as important steps toward restoring African ownership, coherence and strategic sequencing;

13. To this effect, requests the Panel of Facilitators to propose urgent measures aimed at de-escalating the situation in eastern DRC, and to report to the AU Mediator, who will present the said proposals to the next Ordinary session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government in February 2026;

14. Commends the AU Mediator, the Panel of Facilitators, and the Joint EAC–SADC Summit for their relentless efforts, particularly since February 2025 to further enhance coordination among African actors and through the setup of the Independent Joint Secretariat (IJS), coordinated by the AU Commission, EAC and SADC, following the adoption of the IJS by the meeting of the Co-Chairs of the Joint EAC-SADC Summit on the DRC Peace Process on 1 August 2025; and requests the AU Commission to facilitate the work of the IJS to effectively support the Panel of Facilitators;

15. Welcomes international diplomatic efforts, particularly the Washington DC and Doha processes; in this regard, highly commends H.E. Felix Tshisekedi, President of DRC and H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda for signing the Joint Declaration/Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity on 4 December 2025 and commends the Government of the DRC and the Congo River Alliance (M23 Movement) for signing of the Doha Framework for Peace on 15 November 2025; underscores the importance of their full implementation, alignment and complementarity with the consolidated African-led process; while emphasizing that durable peace, security and stability  in eastern DRC depends on coordination of peace processes and  credible implementation of signed Agreements and respect for African leadership;

16. Recognising persistent implementation gaps, requests the AU Commission to further strengthen its support to existing monitoring and verification mechanisms, including the ICGLR - EJVM+, and to explore practical options for further enhancing the presence of the AU on the ground in supporting ceasefire compliance, coordination and more impactful political engagement;

17. Encourages renewed regional collective security dialogue aimed at addressing cross-border drivers of insecurity and preventing further regionalisation of the conflict; in this regard, calls for a de-escalation of tension, and urges all stakeholders to refrain from any action which might further fuel the conflict; to this end, calls upon  Burundi and Rwanda to engage in bilateral consultations to address tensions in bilateral relations;

18. Highly commends H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda for convening the Ad hoc Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Regional Oversight Mechanism (ROM) of the Signatory Countries of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework (PCSF) for the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Region, held in Entebbe on 21 December 2025 and urges the President of the Republic of Uganda to continue deploying his good offices and experience in finding durable solutions to this conflict;

19. Encourages the continuation of all efforts aimed at addressing the root causes of the conflict, and expresses, in this regard, its support for the full implementation of the PSC Framework; expresses deep concern about the link between the illegal exploitation of natural and mineral resources in the eastern DRC and encourages all concerned countries to fully adhere to the implementation of the Regional Certification Mechanism of the ICGLR as a way to curb the link between the illegal exploitation of mineral resources and the fuelling of conflict in the region;

20. Demands unconditional, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all populations in need and the (re-)opening of trade routes in the DRC and the Great Lakes Region; in the same vein, appeals to the AU Commission and the international community to urgently scale up financial and material support to the DRC, as well as to countries, affected by the conflict and which are hosting large numbers of DRC refugees;

21. Reaffirms its readiness to consider additional measures, as appropriate, to support the de-escalation of the conflict, protection of civilians and the search for a negotiated sustainable political solution;

22. Encourages the countries of the region to continue to explore economic opportunities in particular, trade facilitation and cross border infrastructure and cooperation, to strengthen regional integration necessary for the consolidation of peace and security in the Great Lakes sub-region;

23. Requests the AU Commission, through its PCRD Centre, to intensify efforts in developing PCRD activities in eastern DRC;

24. Looks forward to the outcome of the upcoming high-level working session to be convened by the AU Mediator with the Panel of Facilitators in Lome, Togo in January 2026; and

25. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

 

COMMENTS