What changed

B100213/2025

B100217/2025

European Parliament resolution on the targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: defending religious freedom and security

(2025/2612(RSP))

– having regard to its previous resolutions on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), particularlynotably thosethat of 18 January 2018, 24 November 2022 and 13 February 2025,2025 addressingon ongoingthe conflictsescalation andof violence in the humanitarianeastern situationDemocratic inRepublic of the region,Congo,

– having regard to the statement by High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas on behalf of the EU of 25 January 2025 on the latest escalation in eastern DRC, which concerned the security situation in Kivu,

– having regard to the Council conclusions of 9 December 2019 on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, outlining the EU’s strategic approach to the DRC,

– having regard to the UN Security Council Resolutions on the DRC, in particular Resolution 2765 (2024) adopted on 20 December 2024, which extended the mandate of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) until 20 December 2025, and Resolution 2688 (2023) of 27 June 2023, which renewed the sanctions regime against the DRC until 1 July 2024,

– having regard to the Partnership Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, of the other part,

– having regard to the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region, signed in Addis Ababa on 24 February 2013 under the auspices of the African Union and the UN, which aimed to address the root causes of instability in the DRC by promoting regional cooperation, respect for state sovereignty and the ending of external support to armed groups,

– having regard to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which was adopted on 27 June 1981 and entered into force on 21 October 1986,

– having regard to the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which entered into force on 18 February 2006,

– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Charter,

– having regard to Report S/2024/432 of 4 June 2024 by the Group of Experts on the DRC to the President of the UN Security Council,

– having regard to Report S/2024/969 of 27 December 2024 by the Group of Experts on the DRC to the President of the UN Security Council,

– having regard to the UN Security Council press statement of 26 January 2025 on the situation in the DRC, reaffirming the international community’s commitment to the DRC’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,

– having regard to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on sustainable and resilient value chains for critical raw materials, signed on 19 February 2024 by the EU and Rwanda,

– having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas on 14 February 2025, 70 Christians were found beheaded in a church in Kasanga in the eastern DRC; whereas the perpetrators were militants from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) radical Islamist group, with proven ties to the so-called Islamic State terrorist organisation;

A. whereas the situation in the eastern DRC continues to deteriorate sharply; whereas following the advancement of the March 23 Movement (M23) armed rebel group in January 2025, backed by Rwandan forces, and its seizing of Goma and Bukavu, attacks and violence continue to be perpetuated; whereas the M23 is continuing its offensive, notably in North and South Kivu;

B. whereas for decades, the DRC has been plagued by ongoing armed conflicts fuelled by local, regional and international actors, particularly in the eastern regions of North Kivu and South Kivu;

B. whereas in March 2025, President Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda issued a joint statement announcing a ceasefire; whereas despite this announcement, the violence continues;

C. whereas since 1998, the conflict in the DRC has claimed the lives of more than 5.4 million people, most of them civilians, making it the deadliest conflict since the Second World War;

C. whereas around 100 separate armed groups are estimated to be operating in the eastern DRC; whereas destabilisation in the country is being driven by a series of overlapping issues, including ethnic divisions, clashes between government forces and non-state actors, including those backed by Rwanda, and the exploitation of critical raw materials;

D. whereas a significant proportion of the conflict’s victims are children, who have endured violence and suffered from malnutrition and preventable diseases exacerbated by the ongoing instability; whereas many schools have been shuttered, damaged or destroyed, or turned into shelters; whereas 795 000 children are now being deprived of education; whereas more than 1.6 million children in the eastern DRC no longer attend school;

D. whereas there continue to be a high number of civilian casualties and displaced people; whereas civilians are being attacked indiscriminately, in particular in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri;

E. whereas to this day, people in the DRC continue to face violence, attacks, killings and numerous human rights violations committed by national and foreign armed groups, particularly in the east of the country;

E. whereas the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria – Democratic Republic of the Congo (ISIS-DRC), known as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), attacks civilians in all communities in the DRC; whereas ADF attacks have included targeting churches and religious leaders; whereas Christianity is the majority religion in the DRC; whereas most victims of ADF attacks have been Christian;

F. whereas the Congo River Alliance and its principal member, the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group, have recently intensified hostilities in North Kivu and South Kivu with support from Rwanda, leading to the seizure of Goma, the capital of North Kivu and of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, in direct violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC;

F. whereas the humanitarian situation remains dire; whereas support for shelter, medical supplies, sanitation, water and food continues to be severely lacking in the DRC and neighbouring countries; whereas since January 2025, an estimated 70 000 people have crossed into Burundi to flee the conflict in the DRC;

G. whereas targeted attacks on Christian communities in the DRC have intensified; whereas the brutal massacre of 13 February 2025, perpetrated by the ADF radical Islamist group, is part of a series of assaults specifically targeting Christian communities in the region;

G. whereas woman and girls face widespread gender-based and sexual violence, including the use of rape as a weapon of war;

H. whereas since Musa Seka Baluku took leadership of the ADF in 2015, the group has radically changed its ideological orientation; whereas in 2019, the ADF pledged allegiance to Islamic State, becoming its branch in central Africa (Islamic State’s Central African Province – ISCAP);

1. Expresses deep concern at the alarming continuation of violence; deplores the loss of life and the attacks, both indiscriminate and targeted, against civilians;

I. whereas MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, has been present in the country for over two decades, yet continues to struggle to prevent widespread violence and human rights violations;

2. Underlines the urgent need for the stabilisation of the country and the implementation of an immediate ceasefire; reiterates its call on the M23 to halt its territorial advances and withdraw from the territory of the DRC, and for all parties to observe a cessation of violence;

J. whereas the situation in the Great Lakes region remains highly fragile, and a large-scale conflict between the DRC and Rwanda would not only cause immense suffering to civilians in the DRC but would also destabilise the entire central and eastern African region, and would facilitate the spread of radical Islam;

3. Urges the DRC authorities to cooperate with international organisations, including the United Nations, to ensure that human rights abuses are investigated and the perpetrators held to account, including those targeting attacks on ethnic and religious communities;

K. whereas in its resolution of 13 February 2025, Parliament called for the suspension of the EU-Rwanda MoU on critical raw materials; whereas the Commission is undertaking a review of the MoU;

4. Reiterates its call for all parties, including armed groups operating in the eastern DRC, to allow and facilitate humanitarian access to address the urgent need for essential services in the eastern DRC and neighbouring countries, notably Burundi; emphasises that humanitarian workers must be able to operate safely to deliver life-saving assistance to Congolese civilians; stresses that this is a central obligation under international humanitarian law, and that perpetrators violating these obligations should be held to account;

1. Strongly condemns the barbaric crimes committed against Christians in the DRC, including summary executions, beheadings, abductions, torture and targeted attacks on churches and Christian communities; specifically condemns the 13 February 2025 massacre in Kasanga, where 70 Christians were beheaded in a Protestant church by the ADF, a radical Islamist group;

5. Deplores the continued sexual and gender-based violence perpetrated against women and girls, in particular the use of rape as a weapon of war; urges the European External Action Service, the Government of the DRC and the international community to increase medical and psychological support for victims, including access to medical abortion care; recalls that sexual violence is a war crime and that those responsible must be held to account;

2. Stresses that Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world and face increasing violence, discrimination and oppression in many regions; further stresses the need for urgent international action to protect their rights, ensure their safety and uphold their religious freedom;

6. Underlines that a lasting peace must be found through a return to political processes and cooperation; calls on the Government of the DRC and all armed groups to commit to the Nairobi Process for resumed national dialogue;

3. Highlights that the Great Lakes region faces a growing and persistent terrorist threat, characterised by the presence of extremist armed groups committing atrocities against civilians, including targeted attacks on Christian communities; notes that, in addition to the threat posed by the ADF, which is affiliated with Islamic State, several terrorist cells linked to al-Qaeda are also operating in the region; underscores that these groups maintain ties with transnational jihadist networks; stresses the need for a coordinated regional and international response to combat terrorism, while fully respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the DRC;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission and the President, Government and Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

4. Underlines that radical Islamist insurgency is causing growing concern in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the Sahel region, Sudan, Nigeria and Mozambique, as well as in the Great Lakes region; further notes that 16 million Christians in sub-Saharan Africa have been forcibly displaced by violence, with many of them facing persecution because of their faith;

5. Reaffirms its unwavering support for stability in the region and calls for full respect for the territorial integrity of the DRC; emphasises the importance of respecting international borders and national sovereignty; condemns any actions that undermine these principles;

6. Emphasises that decades of conflict, lack of governmental authority and negligence have created a serious security vacuum, fostering the growth of armed groups, among them those responsible for the persecution of Christians in the region; highlights that the forced displacement of certain Christian populations exacerbates the insecurity and persecution faced by these communities;

7. Strongly condemns the atrocities committed by M23, which have led to a further deterioration of the security situation in the DRC, widening the possibilities for actions by extremist groups;

8. Reiterates the call made in its resolution of 13 February 2025 for military aid to Rwanda to be frozen as long as its support for M23 persists; notes that no measures have yet been taken by the Commission in response to Parliament’s resolution; notes that the Commission has started reviewing the EU-Rwanda MoU on critical raw materials given Rwanda’s role in destabilising the DRC; calls on the Commission to present the results of this review to Parliament as soon as they are available;

9. Calls on the Commission and the African Union to take appropriate measures to foster security and peace in the Great Lakes region, in coordination with regional actors;

10. Further urges measures to foster good governance, combat corruption and improve the capacities of security forces in the DRC, in order to increase stability and human security in the eastern DRC, protect civilians, combat armed groups and stabilise the conflict zone;

11. Reiterates its call for a reform of MONUSCO to enhance its effectiveness in protecting civilians, particularly Christians facing attacks by radical extremist Islamist groups, as well as in combating other armed groups; stresses the need to strengthen its intervention capabilities and adapt its mandate to address emerging threats, particularly from terrorist groups;

12. Calls on the Commission, the European External Action Service and the Member States to systematically include, in their diplomatic engagement, dialogue on the protection of persecuted religious communities, particularly Christians;

13. Urges partner countries to take effective measures to combat religious extremism, as well as to counter radical Islamist insurgency;

14. Reaffirms its support for an African-led peace process to resolve the conflict in the eastern DRC; urges all parties to return to negotiations; calls on all sides to engage in a constructive dialogue for a lasting and peaceful resolution, in line with the African Union Peace and Security Council communiqué of its 1256th Emergency Ministerial meeting, held on 28 January 2025;

15. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the United Nations Security Council, the governments and parliaments of the DRC and Rwanda, and the African Union and its institutions.