In response to the deepening crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United Nations Security Council established a panel of independent experts in 2023 to examine the situation and provide it with options to address the conflict. In June 2024, the UN released the panel’s final report.
The report provides a devastating account of the unimaginable scale of violence against civilians. It also shows the failure of state actors to work in unison to bring peace to the region. The implicated parties – particularly the governments of Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC – have protested their innocence.
I have researched violent extremism in Africa, especially its effects in southern and central Africa. The unwillingness of ruling elites throughout central Africa to accept responsibility for the war raises the question of what needs to be done to promote peace and development.
