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DRC Vows to Enforce UN Law, Challenges Rwanda’s Occupation
#EXPLAINED: The DRC returns to the UN Security Council to push for accountability, enforce resolutions, and end Rwanda’s illegal occupation.
1/4/26, 6:49 PM
Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner says the DRC will push for real enforcement of international law and an end to the “credibility gap” between resolutions and reality, starting with Rwanda’s illegal occupation.
After a 30-year absence, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has officially reclaimed its seat as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (2026–2027). This return comes at a pivotal moment, as eastern Congo faces ongoing military aggression and regional destabilization.
Speaking on TV5MONDE, Congolese Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner laid out Kinshasa’s vision for this mandate, a bold call for credible, action-oriented multilateralism that lives up to the founding principles of the United Nations Charter.
The crisis in the DRC is not just a national issue, it’s a crisis for multilateralism itself, marked by blatant violations of international law and humanitarian law.”
From Words to Action: Wagner’s Central Message
Minister Wagner made it clear: UN decisions must move beyond rhetoric.
Referring to UN Resolution 2760 (2023) and Resolution 2773 (2025), both of which explicitly name Rwanda as a destabilizing actor and condemn the illegal occupation of Congolese territory, she denounced the gap between Security Council declarations and real-world enforcement.
We now have, in the DRC case, a situation where the Council takes firm decisions, yet fails to enforce them. That is the credibility gap we want to address.”
Wagner emphasized that Congo’s agenda will not only focus on its own security but will aim to strengthen multilateralism for other conflicts where UN resolutions remain unimplemented.
It’s time to give weight and consequences to Security Council decisions. We cannot let international law become optional.”
Congo’s Priorities on the Council
As a member of the Security Council, the DRC will push for:
Accountability for violations of international law, especially illegal foreign interventions and war crimes.
Concrete enforcement of Security Council resolutions, including sanctions and other binding actions.
A stronger multilateral system, where justice, not geopolitics, drives the Council’s decisions.
Peace and stability in the Great Lakes region, with a clear stance on sovereignty and non-interference.
A Symbolic Return, A Strategic Mandate
The return of Congo to the UN Security Council is not symbolic; it is strategic.
Thirty years after its last mandate, the DRC returns not as a passive member, but as a country demanding respect for international law, protection of civilian lives, and justice for the aggression it continues to face.
This seat is not a reward, it’s a responsibility. The Security Council must act when peace is threatened, not just speak.
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