Citizen Barometer of Peace, Security and Human Rights (Issue 08, October 2025) | Written and produced by the Pamoja kwa Amani Coalition
This issue of the Citizen Barometer of Peace, Security and Human Rights (October 2025) by the Pamoja kwa Amani Coalition presents a grim assessment of the deteriorating situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), despite ongoing international peace processes.
The report highlights the escalating conflict between the Congolese army (FARDC), their Wazalendo allies, and the Rwandan-backed AFC-M23 rebels. A central case study is the sudden and controversial closure of the Lomera gold mining site in South Kivu by AFC-M23 in August 2025. This decision has had devastating humanitarian consequences, leaving over 30,000 people destitute, triggering widespread unemployment, increasing insecurity, and leading to human rights abuses, including forced recruitment and summary executions. The Coalition suggests the closure may be linked to plans for large-scale, illicit exploitation by the rebels or foreign interests to fund their war efforts.
The document details widespread ceasefire violations by all parties, with significant civilian casualties and displacement. A table for South Kivu in October 2025 alone records 95 killings, 195 abductions, and 60 recovered corpses, illustrating the severe human cost. The security vacuum has also led to the proliferation of poorly regulated Wazalendo armed groups, which commit serious human rights violations, recruit children, and contribute to general lawlessness.
The report condemns the exploitation of natural resources as a primary driver of the conflict, noting AFC-M23’s control over numerous mining sites. It also raises alarms over the militarization of World Heritage sites like Kahuzi-Biega National Park and the AFC-M23’s imposition of its own administrative systems and visas in controlled areas, seen as steps towards the “balkanization” of the country.
In conclusion, the Coalition argues that current peace agreements are failing due to a lack of binding enforcement. It issues an urgent appeal to US President Donald Trump to apply decisive pressure on the belligerents. It also welcomes the establishment of a UN Commission of Inquiry and calls for international support to ensure justice, end impunity, and achieve a sustainable peace that includes local communities.