UN Says ‘Window Of Opportunity’ For Peace In DRC

The envoy lauds the progress in diplomatic efforts despite the worsening security and humanitarian situation.

Armed security personnel keep watch during a collective memorial service organised by the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) and the M23 armed group in Masisi, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on January 8, 2026 [Moise Kasereka/EPA] A senior United Nations official has told the Security Council there is a “window of opportunity” for peace in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, a mineral-rich region plagued by decades of conflict.

Huang Xia, the UN special envoy for the impacted Great Lakes Region, on Tuesday said that both US- and Qatar-led peace processes have achieved “notable progress”.

However, “despite this sustained diplomatic effort, the security and humanitarian situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has continued to worsen”, he added.