Whereas the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has endured decades of conflict, political instability, and humanitarian crises, causing immense suffering for its people;

Whereas eastern DRC and the broader African Great Lakes region continue to experience cycles of violence, displacement, and human rights violations that threaten regional stability;

Whereas since the resurgence of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group in 2021, there were about 6,800,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) by April 2025, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA);

Whereas more than 1,000,000 people were displaced in the first half of 2025 alone;

Whereas one in every four Congolese people face severe food insecurity, and more than 2,100,000 children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, according to OCHA;

Whereas, according to OCHA, as of 2024, nearly 25,400,000 people in the DRC require humanitarian assistance, making it one of the largest and most complex humanitarian crises globally;

Whereas the European Parliament adopted a resolution on November 24, 2022 (2022/2957(RSP)), addressing forced displacement and escalating violence in the eastern DRC, calling for targeted humanitarian aid and termination of support to armed groups;

Whereas the European Union has enacted Regulation (EU) 2017/821 to establish supply chain obligations for importers of conflict minerals and to reaffirm its support for regional peace efforts through diplomatic and funding initiatives;

Whereas local and national efforts, including the Pacte Social pour la Paix et le Bien-Vivre Ensemble (Social Pact for Peace and Living Together), a joint effort by the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO, by its French acronym) and the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC, by its French acronym), aim to promote reconciliation, civic engagement, and lasting peace in the region;

Whereas civil society organizations, religious leaders, and local communities actively support citizen workshops and national forums to form peace agreements;

Whereas regional diplomacy, including the Doha, Luanda, and Nairobi Processes, provides critical platforms for mediation and disarmament of rebel groups;

Whereas African-led peace initiatives, such as the Luanda and Nairobi processes facilitated by the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC), provide essential frameworks for mediation, disarmament, and dialogue to resolve the conflict and promote regional cooperation;

Whereas, according to the African Union, coordinated peace frameworks such as the Luanda and Nairobi Processes remain critical tools in addressing transnational armed groups and enabling regional dialogue;

Whereas the United States has provided vital diplomatic and humanitarian support to the DRC;

Whereas illegal exploitation and trade in natural resources, particularly through the mining sector (exacerbated by illegal Chinese operations), finances armed groups and empowers corruption, violence, and child and forced labor within the region;

Whereas the DRC possesses immense natural and mineral wealth estimated in the trillions of dollars, including approximately 70 percent of the world’s cobalt reserves and 40 percent of global coltan production;

Whereas militias exploit these resources, some of which is mined by children as young as four years old, to finance their operations, perpetuating conflict and environmental degradation;

Whereas The Sentry has documented persistent shortcomings in supply chain transparency and accountability, particularly in Chinese-owned operations that fail to comply with labor and environmental standards;

Whereas M23, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), among other armed groups across eastern DRC, commit atrocities including mass murder, rape, torture, beheadings, burning, kidnapping, and forced conscription of children;

Whereas M23, the FDLR, the ADF, and other armed groups across eastern DRC, deliberately destroy and loot towns, churches, and religious schools to erase nonconforming cultural and religious communities;

Whereas these crimes have caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, rendering them vulnerable to exploitation and death;

Whereas crimes against humanity, as defined in the Nuremberg Charter and subsequent international instruments, including the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, include such atrocities, especially when committed on political, ethnic, or religious grounds;

Whereas the United States has designated the ADF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and its leader, Seka Musa Baluku, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist; and

Whereas the ADF operates as an ISIS affiliate: Now, therefore, be it