Midterm report of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo

A midterm report by the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo highlights persistent security challenges, including election-related violence and the activities of armed groups like the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which continue to pose threats to stability. Despite military operations weakening FDLR, gold trafficking remains a significant funding source for criminal networks, with limited progress in implementing traceability programs. The report also notes ongoing human rights violations, including civilian massacres, and the inefficiency of stockpile management, complicating efforts to track diverted weapons. While some investigations into military involvement in natural resource exploitation have begun, challenges persist in sectors like tin, tantalum, and tungsten. Garamba National Park remains a key source of ivory trafficking, though poaching has declined as a funding mechanism for armed groups.

Sharp, M. J., Behalal, Z., Catalán, Z., Sollazzo, R., Vogel, C., & Zounmenou, D. (2016). Midterm report of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. United Nations. https://doi.org/10.5167/UZH-145412