The speaker of the national assembly, Aimé Boji Sangara, devoted a significant portion of his closing speech for the ordinary march session on monday 15 june 2026 to the alarming security situation in eastern democratic republic of Congo, calling it the top concern of parliament.
From the outset, he highlighted the severity of conditions on the ground. The lower house leader expressed parliament’s anxiety over ongoing armed violence, particularly in north kivu, south kivu and ituri provinces, where civilians continue to bear the brunt of conflict.
“The security situation in the east of our country remains the primary preoccupation of the national representation. As we conclude these proceedings, our thoughts immediately turn to the east of our country. the rwandan aggression, along with its terrorist group afc/m23, and the heinous massacres committed by adf terrorists continue to shed the blood of our compatriots,” he stated in his address.
In the same vein, Aimé Boji Sangara reiterated the national assembly’s firm condemnation of persistent armed violence and attacks against civilians.
The lower house speaker also paid tribute to defence and security forces, as well as self-defence groups fighting alongside the congolese army.
“From this rostrum, the national assembly reiterates its strongest condemnation of this murderous and unjust war. This is an opportunity to pay vibrant and solemn tribute to our armed forces, the farcd, and to the volunteers for the defence of the homeland, the wazalendo, who fight day and night at the risk of their lives. To the aggrieved populations of south kivu, north kivu and ituri, we say: the nation does not forget you,” he assured.
In a notably firm tone, Aimé Boji Sangara called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and external interference in the east of the country. He further reaffirmed the democratic republic of Congo’s determination to preserve its territorial integrity.
The lawmaker from walungu, in south kivu province, and speaker of the national assembly urged kigali to embrace regional awareness about the need for lasting peace between neighbours.
“To the rwandan aggressors and their afc/m23 auxiliaries, we say it is time for the rwandan government to cease its destabilisation manoeuvres, stop looting our resources and immediately end the extermination of our populations. Neither expansionist ambitions nor violence will undermine our sovereignty. No portion of our territory can be ceded. Rwanda must understand that geography condemns us to be neighbours for eternity. War will only perpetuate a hatred that future generations will pay for, and only lasting peace will benefit everyone,” he stressed in his speech.
The security situation in this part of the country continues to deteriorate. Despite the existence of the Washington agreement brokered by the united states, as well as the doha process under the auspices of the state of qatar with support from the african union, and despite successive review meetings, the security and humanitarian situation in eastern drc remains worrying. Civilians in that corner of the democratic republic of Congo continue to be the main victims of violence and forced displacement, further worsening an already catastrophic humanitarian context amid declining international funding for humanitarian aid.
Faced with this situation, voices continue to be raised at national, regional and international levels calling on various stakeholders to respect commitments made under peace initiatives. However, these calls have so far had no notable effect. The goal of bridging the persistent gap between ground realities and diplomatic progress recorded on paper remains elusive. Each party continues to interpret accord provisions according to its own reading, making implementation ever more uncertain.
