The United States has renewed its call on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to end all forms of cooperation with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and move swiftly to dismantle the armed group.
The appeal was made by US Ambassador Jeffrey Bartos during a United Nations Security Council meeting on October 13, 2026, focused on security in the Great Lakes region of Africa.
Ambassador Bartos said the Washington Accords signed by Rwanda and the DRC last year presented a significant opportunity to achieve peace, security and sustainable development in the region. He urged both countries to honour their commitments under the agreements.
Addressing the FDLR, an armed group opposed to the Rwandan government, the United States stressed that dismantling the group must remain a priority in line with the provisions of the Washington peace agreements.
“The dismantling of the FDLR must continue. Any cooperation between the FDLR and the DRC armed forces must cease immediately,” Bartos said.
The Congolese government has said it reached an agreement with the FDLR aimed at relocating its fighters to designated camps, disarming them and facilitating their reintegration into civilian life. However, Kinshasa has not provided detailed information on how the programme will be implemented.
The United States called on the DRC government to provide further details about the proposed process and begin implementing it promptly, in accordance with the Washington peace agreements.
Denmark also stressed that there was no military solution to the conflict in the DRC and called on all parties involved to reduce tensions.
“DRC must stop supporting armed groups and take concrete steps to dismantle the FDLR,” Denmark’s representative said.
Panama condemned attacks against civilians in the DRC by armed groups and called for an end to all support provided to them.
“We also condemn attacks against civilians by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), the FDLR and other armed groups,” Panama’s representative said.
Members of the UN Security Council called for greater coordination among the various peace initiatives aimed at resolving the conflict and achieving lasting stability in the Great Lakes region.