Democratic Republic of the Congo: Open Letter to the African Union Summit

List of Key Chapter Titles

1. Existing Efforts by the AU and Related Mechanisms in Response to the DRC Crisis
2. Nature of the Armed Conflict in Eastern DRC and Current Status of Human Rights Violations
3. Humanitarian Crisis Situation in North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces
4. Core Action Recommendations for the AU Peace and Security Council (1): Deployment of a Fact-Finding Mission
5. Core Action Recommendations for the AU Peace and Security Council (2): Ceasefire and Peacekeeping Reinforcement
6. Core Action Recommendations for the AU Peace and Security Council (3): Protection of Human Rights Defenders
7. Core Action Recommendations for the AU Peace and Security Council (4): Accountability for Violations
8. Core Action Recommendations for the AU Peace and Security Council (5): Guarantee of Humanitarian Access
9. Core Action Recommendations for the AU Peace and Security Council (6): Protection and Empowerment of Women's Rights
10. Addressing Root Causes for a Lasting Regional Conflict Resolution

Document Introduction

On February 12, 2025, 30 Congolese, African, and international organizations jointly submitted an open letter to the 38th Summit of the African Union (AU), calling on the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) to take decisive action regarding the severe situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) at its thematic meeting scheduled for February 14. The open letter, led by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), directly addresses the escalating armed conflict, systematic human rights violations, and humanitarian disaster in eastern DRC, emphasizing the need to respond to the crisis through political and judicial means and to establish an independent fact-finding mission.

The core trajectory of the conflict involves the resumption of armed activities by the "March 23 Movement" (M23) at the end of 2021, leading to confrontations between the M23 (supported by the Rwandan Defense Forces), the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), and their allies (including other armed groups). This conflict has resulted in serious violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law, potentially constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity, including sexual and gender-based violence, forced displacement, and other atrocities. Reports of hundreds of women and girls being raped and killed during the M23's incursion into Goma and the subsequent Munzenze prison break on January 27, 2025, further highlight the urgency of the situation.

The humanitarian situation in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces of the DRC is on the verge of collapse: armed conflict has blocked humanitarian access, and the right of civilians to seek refuge is not guaranteed. Human rights defenders and humanitarian workers in the region have become targets of attacks by both sides of the conflict, forcing them to suspend critical work such as documenting violations, advocacy, and humanitarian assistance. It is noteworthy that the Congolese people have endured over 30 years of continuous violence. The current crisis is essentially a structural conflict at the regional level, urgently requiring substantive solutions beyond superficial statements.

The open letter acknowledges the AU's previous response measures, including the emergency ministerial meeting held on January 28, 2025, and the communiqué issued authorizing the AU Commission to deploy a fact-finding mission. It also recognizes the efforts of AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki in facilitating a joint summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC). This summit, held on February 8, called on all parties to the conflict to cease hostilities, restore basic infrastructure and supply lines, and resolve the conflict peacefully through the Luanda/Nairobi process.

Based on the above context, the document presents a series of specific demands to the AU Peace and Security Council: clarify the deployment timeline for the fact-finding mission and ensure its operational launch within February 2025; establish an effective collaboration model between the AU and the SADC-EAC mediation mechanism; urge the governments of the DRC and Rwanda, as well as all armed groups including M23 and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), to immediately cease hostilities and engage in dialogue; strengthen the resources and mandate of peacekeeping forces to protect civilians and humanitarian access; establish security mechanisms for human rights defenders and support their participation throughout the conflict resolution process; hold perpetrators accountable through AU human rights and accountability mechanisms, with particular attention to cases of sexual and gender-based violence; guarantee unimpeded humanitarian assistance and the right of civilians to safe refuge; establish special protection measures for women and ensure their participation in peace negotiations and post-conflict reconstruction decision-making.

The open letter concludes by emphasizing that despite the efforts made by the AU and its partners, the severity of the crisis demands more immediate and comprehensive responses. It calls on African heads of state and government, as well as relevant decision-makers, to increase pressure to bring about an immediate end to the conflict, protect civilian safety, and achieve lasting regional peace by addressing the root causes of the conflict.