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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION (2025/2612(RSP))

On the targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: defending religious freedom and security

B-10-2025-0213

on behalf of the PfE Group · Rapporteur: PierreRomain Thionnet, Matthieu Valet, Susanna Ceccardi, Silvia Sardone, Roberto Vannacci, Hermann Tertsch, Jorge Martín Frías

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 8 Sept 2026

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

This resolution condemns attacks on Christians in the DRC, including the 13 February 2025 massacre in Kasanga, and calls for action to protect religious freedom and security. It demands respect for DRC's territorial integrity, condemns M23 and ADF atrocities, and urges freezing military aid to Rwanda while support for M23 persists. It calls for MONUSCO reform, better governance in the DRC, and inclusion of religious freedom in EU diplomatic engagement.

Key points

  1. Strongly condemns the barbaric crimes against Christians in the DRC, including the 13 February 2025 massacre in Kasanga where 70 Christians were beheaded.
  2. Stresses that Christians are the most persecuted religious group and need urgent international action to protect their rights and religious freedom.
  3. Highlights the terrorist threat in the Great Lakes region from groups like ADF and al-Qaeda-linked cells, calling for a coordinated response respecting DRC sovereignty.
  4. Notes that 16 million Christians in sub-Saharan Africa have been forcibly displaced by violence, with many facing persecution.
  5. Reaffirms support for DRC's territorial integrity and condemns actions undermining it.
  6. Emphasizes that decades of conflict and security vacuum have enabled armed groups, and forced displacement exacerbates persecution of Christians.
  7. Strongly condemns M23 atrocities and reiterates the call to freeze military aid to Rwanda as long as its support for M23 persists.
  8. Calls on the Commission to present the results of its review of the EU-Rwanda MoU on critical raw materials to Parliament as soon as available.
  9. Calls on the Commission and African Union to foster security and peace in the Great Lakes region with regional actors.
  10. Urges measures for good governance, anti-corruption, and improved security forces in the DRC to protect civilians and stabilize the east.
  11. Calls for MONUSCO reform to enhance civilian protection, especially for Christians, and to combat armed and terrorist groups.
  12. Calls on EU institutions to include dialogue on protecting persecuted religious communities in diplomatic engagement, and urges partner countries to combat religious extremism.

Who is affected

  • Christians in the DRC, particularly in the east, who face targeted attacks and persecution.
  • The government of Rwanda, which is called on to stop supporting M23 and faces potential freezing of EU military aid.
  • MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission, which is urged to reform its mandate and capabilities.
  • The Commission and European External Action Service, which are asked to include religious freedom in diplomatic dialogue.

Figures and deadlines

  • 70 Christians were found beheaded in a church in Kasanga on 14 February 2025.
  • More than 5.4 million people have died in the conflict since 1998.
  • 795,000 children are deprived of education; more than 1.6 million children no longer attend school.
  • 16 million Christians in sub-Saharan Africa have been forcibly displaced.