Moscow reacts to attacks on peacekeepers in DR Congo
Russia’s UN envoy says his country will do “everything in its power” to help restore peace in the troubled Central African state
Russia has condemned the killing of international peacekeepers in escalating attacks in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) by the M23 militia.
Clashes between the armed group and the Central African nation’s forces intensified in North and South Kivu earlier this month, leaving at least 13 peacekeepers dead, according to the UN. The country’s army announced on Friday that M23 fighters shot Major General Peter Cirimwami Nkuba, the governor of North Kivu, while he was visiting the front line.
At a UN Security Council briefing on Sunday, Russia’s permanent representative, Vassily Nebenzia, expressed concern about the use of “advanced weapons systems” and heavy artillery near civilian infrastructure.
“Unfortunately, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) is already suffering losses,” the envoy stated. One attack “killed in March 2022 our fellow citizen Alexei Mizyura, who was a senior member of the group of Russian military observers under MONUSCO.”
The DR Congo has been plagued by decades of violence, particularly in the east, as dozens of non-state armed groups, including M23, are fighting the local authorities for resources. The hinterland territories of the regions are rich in minerals such as gold, cassiterite, coltan, diamonds, tourmaline, pyrochlore, and wolfram. The militants have seized control of more territory than ever before in the latest escalation, prompting the UN to warn of the risk of a broader regional conflict.
On Monday, M23 announced that it has taken control of Goma, the capital and largest city of the North Kivu Province, after hours of gunfire. The group had given Congolese forces a 48-hour deadline to surrender their weapons.
Videos shared on social media show thousands of people fleeing Goma and neighboring towns.
#DRCongo 🇨🇩: apocalyptic scenes in #Goma as hundreds of thousands of people are forced to flee, desperate to escape from the advancing #M23 and Rwandan forces.
The UN said around 400,000 people have been displaced in North and South Kivu since the beginning of 2025. The organization said on Saturday that it was relocating its administrative staff from the city due to the deteriorating security situation and intensifying hostilities.
Relations between the Congolese government and Rwanda have deteriorated since the return of hostilities in DR Congo’s volatile eastern region in 2021. The authorities in the conflict-torn country have repeatedly accused the Rwandan government of arming the insurgents. A group of UN experts also estimates that 3,000 to 4,000 Rwandan troops are fighting alongside the M23 militia against Congolese forces and local allies. Rwandan President Paul Kagame has repeatedly denied that his country supports the insurgent group.
Speaking at the UNSC meeting on Sunday, Russia’s envoy called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, urging Kinshasa and Kigali to use diplomatic means to resolve the conflict.
“We see how tired the Congolese are of violence and how much they want simply to live and work on their own land. Russia, as a permanent member of the Security Council, will do everything in its power to bring this longed-for moment closer,” Nebenzia said.
