Joint Statement by the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes (ICG) on the Escalation in South Kivu

The Governments of the United States of America, Belgium, Denmark, the European Union, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, as members of the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes (ICG), chaired by Germany, issued the following statement on the alarming escalation in South Kivu:

The ICG expresses its profound concern regarding the renewed outbreak of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the new offensive of the March 23 Movement (M23), supported by Rwanda, around Uvira (South Kivu) close to Burundi which has a destabilizing potential for the whole region. The ICG expresses particular concern at the increased use of both attack and suicide drones in the conflict. This represents a significant escalation in the fighting and poses an acute risk to civilian populations.

The ICG urges the M23 and the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) to immediately halt their offensive operations in eastern DRC, in particular in South Kivu, and calls on the RDF to withdraw from eastern DRC and on M23 to return to its positions and uphold it commitments of the Declaration of Principles that was signed in Doha on 19 July 2025.

The ICG calls on all parties to honour their obligations to protect civilians, adhere to UNSC resolution 2773, including full respect of territorial integrity, to uphold their commitments under the Washington Accords of 4 December 2025 and immediately deescalate the situation. We urge all parties to avoid escalatory or provocative speech and actions that gravely endanger civilian populations and risk irreparably undermining the significant progress achieved with the Framework Agreement signed in Doha on 15 November 2025 by the Government of the DRC and M23. The ICG further calls on all actors involved to urgently and unequivocally recommit to the ceasefire and to ensure full, safe and unimpeded, humanitarian access so that critical assistance can reach those in need.