The unstable situation in the Congo is even more volatile after mass killings

The diplomatic fanfare surrounding the signing of a peace agreement between the Congolese government and the M23 stands in stark contrast to the harsh reality unfolding on the ground in the east of the country, says the Director of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Diocese of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

In exclusive comments to CWR, Gilbert Dhego said a semblance of calm in official evaluations is belied by the gradual reinforcement of troops and mutual accusations of provocations between the warring parties.

“The agreement in principle suggests a return to calm, yet a deep crisis of confidence remains. This is reflected in ongoing troop reinforcements on the front lines and escalating mutual accusations of provocations by both sides,” Dhego told CWR.

He said the security situation in eastern DRC has remained “volatile”, citing a Sunday, July 27, 2025, attack at the Blessed Anuarite Komanda Parish in Ituri Province that led to the violent murder of some 43 worshipers, including nine children. Fifteen others were seriously injured.

Sunday’s attack was carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces, a terrorist organization linked to the Islamic State.

The United Nations called Sunday’s attack “heinous” as victims were buried in a mass grave on July 28. Pope Leo on Monday expressed “deep grief” at the attack and said he was praying for the families of the victims.

“His Holiness Pope Leo XIV learned with dismay and deep sorrow of the attack perpetrated against the Parish of Blessed Anuarite in Komanda, which caused the death of several faithful gathered for worship,” wrote Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican top diplomat in a telegram addressed to Archbishop Mugalu, President of the Congolese Bishops’ Conference, on behalf of the Holy Father.

”May the blood of these martyrs become a seed of peace, reconciliation, fraternity, and love for the Congolese people,” the telegram added.

He said the tragedy “calls us even more urgently to work for the integral human development of the martyred population of that region.”

Dhego told CWR that the latest attack isn’t an isolated case. He gave the examples of the Ruzizi plain, which separates the DRC from Burundi and Rwanda, where “there are regular reports of insecurity from self-defense fighters called Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP)”, commonly known as ‘wazalendo’.

“In the province of Ituri, with the creation of the new political-military movement known as CRP (Convention pour la Révolution Populaire), under the leadership of former rebel Thomas Lubanga, there are reports of clashes between fighters from this movement and the FARDC,” he said.

He said these rebel groups directly threaten the Qatari and US-led peace process.

“This disconnect creates a crisis of confidence, with communities divided in their hopes and living in constant fear that the fragile agreement will collapse, triggering a renewed conflict that overshadows any diplomatic gains,” he said.

On July 19, 2025, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group signed a “declaration of principles” in Doha, Qatar, aimed at ending the protracted fighting in eastern Congo.

However, the agreement notably omits any commitment regarding the critical issue of Rwandan military withdrawal or the exit of M23 forces from occupied Congolese territory.

While the declaration does state that both parties agree on the principle of restoring full state authority “on all national territories” as part of a future peace settlement, it provides no concrete details on how or when this would be achieved.

Despite this omission, DRC government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya asserted on X that the declaration “takes into account the red lines we have always defended, including the non-negotiable —withdrawal” of M23highlighting a significant gap between the agreement’s text and the DRC’s public stance.

Signatories did commit to a structured timeline: negotiations for a comprehensive peace agreement are set to begin no later than August 8, with the aim of finalizing a complete peace deal by August 18.

Besides the Doha talks in late June in Washington, DC, there were also talks between the DRC and Rwanda.

Trump had separately extended invitations to DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame to come to Washington for the signing of a broader package of agreements.

Building upon earlier diplomatic efforts, the Foreign Ministers of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda formally signed a peace agreement on June 27.

Subsequently, both ministers met with President Trump at the White House, where he issued a stark warning of “very severe penalties, financial and otherwise” should the deal be violated.

This significant collection of deals, framed by Trump’s senior adviser for Africa, Massad Boulos, as the “Washington Accord,” aimed to solidify regional stability while advancing U.S. strategic interests, particularly access to the DRC’s critical mineral resources.

The DRC, despite its political instability, possesses extraordinary mineral wealth—including cobalt, copper, coltan, and lithium—that has become increasingly vital for powering advanced technologies. These minerals are essential components in everything from smartphones and electric vehicles to the artificial intelligence systems driving the next technological revolution. Currently, China has established a dominant position in accessing these resources, having invested billions in African mining operations over the past two decades.

Trump’s approach to this diplomatic opportunity has been notably transactional. He has explicitly stated that any peace agreement should simultaneously serve American commercial interests by securing access to these critical minerals for U.S. technology companies. This stance reflects a broader shift in U.S. foreign policy under Trump, where traditional diplomatic objectives became increasingly intertwined with economic nationalism.

Alex de Waal, executive director of the U.S.-based World Peace Foundation, provided a critical analysis of this approach to the BBC. He characterized the Trump administration’s strategy as “a new model of peace-making, combining a populist performance with commercial deal-making.”

According to de Waal, this model represents a significant departure from traditional diplomacy, which typically prioritizes humanitarian concerns and regional stability alongside economic interests.

However, Dhego does not reject Trump’s transactional approach to peacebuilding. But he insists that any sustainable peace effort must address the fundamental issue: a more just and equitable sharing of the DRC’s mineral wealth. This inequity, he argues, lies at the very heart of the conflict.

“While this conflict has political and security dimensions, it is fundamentally economic in nature,” Dhego told CWR. “It stems from the desire of external actors to control the DRC’s strategic mineral resources.”

He explained that the opaque and often predatory management of these resources fuels tensions, inter-community rivalries, and external interference.

“A fair distribution of the dividends from resource exploitation,” says Dhego, “achieved through transparent and inclusive mechanisms, could significantly reduce frustrations. This would promote more harmonious regional economic integration while restoring confidence among local populations.”

“Ultimately,” he explained, “by placing the resources themselves at the heart of a dialogue focused on peace and shared development, the states of the region could lay the foundations for a more stable and lasting peace.”