The United Kingdom used the 12 December Security Council meeting to condemn the M23 offensive and reported takeover of Uvira in South Kivu, which it said occurred with support from the Rwandan Defence Forces. London called for an immediate halt to hostilities and full compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2773, stressing there is no military solution to the crisis. The statement was delivered in New York by Jennifer MacNaughtan, Minister Counsellor at the UK Mission to the UN.
UK officials linked their message to two political tracks now on paper: the Washington Accords signed in the US capital on 4 December, and the Framework Agreement initialled in Doha on 15 November between Kinshasa and the Congo River Alliance/M23. The UK commended the United States, Qatar and the African Union, and pressed parties to implement commitments in full.
Events on the ground have moved in the opposite direction. M23 has asserted control over Uvira, a strategic Lake Tanganyika port opposite Burundi’s largest city, triggering population movements towards the Burundian border and further straining already limited humanitarian capacity. International outlets report thousands fleeing and significant disruption to services.
The UK flagged continuing reports of abuses by all sides, including conflict‑related sexual violence, noting testimony from Médecins Sans Frontières at the Council session. Independent monitoring this year has also recorded grave violations attributed to both M23 and pro‑government Wazalendo militias, including gang rapes and summary killings, underscoring the call for strict adherence to international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians.
Resolution 2773, adopted unanimously on 21 February 2025, demands that M23 immediately cease hostilities, withdraw from areas under its control and reverse any parallel administrations it has set up. It calls on the Rwanda Defence Force to end support to M23 and withdraw from DRC territory, and urges Kinshasa to halt any assistance to armed groups such as the FDLR. The text also urges all parties to enable humanitarian access, including temporary corridors in North and South Kivu.
On mission posture, the UK reiterated full support for MONUSCO’s protection role and said the mission should be enabled to monitor any ceasefire emerging from political talks. The Security Council renewed MONUSCO’s mandate through 20 December 2025, with a continued focus on protection of civilians and a tailored drawdown plan; the UK urged all actors to guarantee the mission’s freedom of movement and for M23 to lift obstructions.
For operating agencies, Resolution 2773’s direction on humanitarian corridors places a premium on movement assurances and deconfliction arrangements along main routes in South Kivu, while cross‑border flows into Burundi will require close coordination with Bujumbura and UN partners. The UK’s message emphasises civilian protection as the organising principle for planning and response.
Compliance and accountability tools also remain available. In June the Council renewed DRC sanctions and extended the Group of Experts’ mandate, reinforcing monitoring of arms flows, illicit finance and obstruction of peace efforts alongside the political tracks referenced by the UK.
Taken together, London’s intervention urges the parties to translate recent agreements into verifiable steps: halt the fighting, protect civilians, open access for aid, and enable MONUSCO to operate. The statement frames success as contingent on both political implementation and observable security improvements in and around Uvira.