ICG Calls to End M23 Offensive, RDF Presence in DR Eastern Congo

By Al Mayadeen English

10 Dec 2025 12:19

The International Contact Group warns of destabilization amid the M23 offensive in eastern Congo, urging RDF withdrawal and adherence to UN Resolution 2773

The International Contact Group for the Great Lakes (ICG), chaired by Germany and comprising the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and several European nations, issued a statement Tuesday expressing “profound concern” over renewed violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The statement highlighted a new offensive by the March 23 Movement (M23) near Uvira, South Kivu, warning that the fighting carries a “destabilizing potential” for the wider region. The group also raised alarms over the increased use of attack and suicide drones, describing it as a “significant escalation” that poses an “acute risk to civilian populations.”

The ICG called on both the M23 and the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) to immediately halt offensive operations in eastern Congo, urging the RDF to withdraw from the region. It also demanded that the M23 return to its previous positions and honor commitments outlined in the Declaration of Principles signed in Doha on July 19, 2025.

The statement emphasized that all parties must protect civilians, comply with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2773, which calls for the M23 to cease offensives and for Rwanda to end support for the group, respect the territorial integrity of the DRC, and uphold the Washington Accords signed on December 4.

74 killed days after ceasefire

At least 74 people, mostly civilians, have been killed and 83 others wounded in clashes between Congolese forces and M23 militants in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations reported Monday.

The fighting, which occurred between December 2 and 7, involved heavy weapons and shelling in populated areas across South Kivu province, including the territories of Uvira, Walungu, Mwenga, Shabunda, Kabare, Fizi, and Kalehe.

According to new UN data, the violence has displaced more than 200,000 people since December 2, with thousands more fleeing across borders into neighboring Burundi and Rwanda. South Kivu already hosted 1.2 million internally displaced people before the latest escalation.

Bruno Lemarquis, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Congo, called for immediate protection of civilians, condemning the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and attacks on schools. He also noted that ongoing clashes have severely hampered medical evacuations.

Trump's ceasefires imitate his business ventures

Late last week, on December 4, 2025, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the M23 movement, under a broader agreement involving Rwanda, ratified a new ceasefire pact in Washington, mediated by the United States. The accord aimed to stabilize conflict-torn eastern provinces, enforce troop withdrawals, and end hostilities following a peace agreement signed in June 2025.

Almost immediately, the ceasefire unraveled. On December 5, violence flared across South Kivu, with heavy weapons reportedly used, civilian casualties rising, and fresh displacement as towns came under attack. Within 24 hours, the Congolese government accused Rwanda of violating the deal, claiming Rwandan forces fired heavy weapons from across the border.

This breakdown adds to a series of ceasefires brokered under President Trump’s administration that have repeatedly collapsed. Even an earlier truce reached in October 2025 during Doha talks, initially hailed as a hopeful step, failed to prevent subsequent escalation.