A senior United Nations official has told the Security Council that eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is opening a "window of opportunity" for peace in a mineral-rich region that has been plagued by persistent conflict for decades.
According to the UN special envoy for the Great Lakes region, Huang Xia, peace processes led by the United States and Qatar have both made "notable progress." He cautioned, however, that despite sustained diplomatic efforts, the security and humanitarian situation in eastern DRC continues to worsen.
Multiple warring parties, including the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group and the Congolese army, have fought in the area, driving a wave of international diplomatic efforts.
Huang stressed the urgency of seizing the "window of opportunity" opened by growing convergence among peace efforts. "This window will not last forever," he warned.
The UN envoy called on all parties to turn commitments into verifiable actions, saying trust must be built through deeds rather than declarations.
In July 2025, the Congolese government and the M23 group signed a commitment toward a ceasefire in Doha. In December of the same year, the DRC and Rwanda also formalized a US-mediated peace agreement in Washington, DC. Fighting on the ground has nonetheless continued.
In August, fresh talks were held in Switzerland with representatives from the United States, Qatar and the African Union taking part. Huang said the UN will support a meeting on October 18 in Zambia's capital, Lusaka, between defense ministers from Burundi, the DRC, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania.
