- Politique
Amid numerous challenges shaking the African continent, President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo called on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, for stronger collective action and a more assertive defense of Africa’s strategic interests on the global stage.
Speaking to the press after a meeting in Kinshasa with his Burundian counterpart, Évariste Ndayishimiye, who also serves as chairperson of the African Union, the Congolese head of state emphasized the need for African nations to demonstrate greater coherence and solidarity when facing contemporary challenges.
In this context, Tshisekedi announced that he had invited President Évariste Ndayishimiye to participate in a high-level meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which he will soon chair in the United States as part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s presidency of that body in July 2027.
“Africa is at a pivotal moment. Our continent must confront complex security challenges, persistent humanitarian crises, the effects of climate change, global economic pressures, and the immense expectations of our youth. Faced with these challenges, Africa must speak with more coherence, act with more solidarity, and defend its strategic interests with more firmness. In that spirit, I had the honor of inviting my brother, President Évariste Ndayishimiye, to take part in the high-level meeting I will chair very soon at the United Nations Security Council, on the occasion of the DRC’s presidency of the Council in July, which will focus on the links between natural resources, peace, security and sustainable development,” announced Félix Tshisekedi, President of the DRC.
This meeting will address the connections between natural resources, peace, security and sustainable development — a theme the head of state considers crucial for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Great Lakes region and the entire African continent. The Congolese president also expressed confidence that his Burundian counterpart’s participation will bring a valuable contribution to the discussions at this high-level gathering.
“This theme is essential for our country, the Great Lakes region, and the whole African continent. Our natural resources must cease to be a factor of covetousness, predation, instability and conflict. They must become a lever for peace, development, economic sovereignty, industrial transformation, and shared prosperity. I am convinced that President Ndayishimiye’s contribution, in his capacity as President of the Republic of Burundi and Chairperson of the African Union, will usefully enrich this reflection in service of our continent,” added Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is set to assume the presidency of the United Nations Security Council in July 2026, as part of the monthly rotation among members of this body. The DRC will hold this presidency after Colombia in June and before Denmark in August, following the English alphabetical order of member states. The three countries sit on the Security Council, with the first two serving as non-permanent members elected for the 2026-2027 term.
Since January 2026, the flags of five new non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council for the 2026-2027 term have flown at UN headquarters in New York. They are Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia and Liberia. This protocol ceremony, organized on Thursday, January 2, 2026, marked the start of their two-year term on the body responsible for deciding peacekeeping operations, sanctions regimes, and the political and security direction of responses to international crises.
