[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 559 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 559
Recognizing the urgent need for peace, stability, and reconciliation in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and supporting diplomatic,
economic, and humanitarian efforts to achieve lasting peace in the
region.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 27, 2025
Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself, Mrs. Radewagen, Mr. McCormick,
and Ms. Salazar) submitted the following resolution; which was referred
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee
on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the urgent need for peace, stability, and reconciliation in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and supporting diplomatic,
economic, and humanitarian efforts to achieve lasting peace in the
region.
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
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the urgent need for peace, stability, and
reconciliation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
and supports diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian efforts to
achieve lasting peace in the region;
(2) recognizes the benefit of an inclusive national
dialogue led and facilitated by CENCO and ECC that includes all
the actors of civil society movements, religious confessions,
political parties, and armed groups to promote social cohesion,
national unity and principles of good governance;
(3) urges the peaceful resolution of tensions between the
DRC and Rwanda and encourages all regional stakeholders to
participate in African-led dialogues such as the Luanda and
Nairobi Processes;
(4) calling for a stop to all state support for non-state
armed groups and respect for the DRC Constitution, democratic
principles, human rights, and the cessation of arbitrary
prosecutions, detentions, and denial of official documents such
as passports to political opponents and citizens;
(5) calls on the DRC government to combat systemic
corruption and implement transparent, accountable governance
and enforcement and adherence to term limits contained in the
DRC Constitution;
(6) endorses the establishment of critical minerals
commercial agreements between the United States and the DRC to
promote mutual economic and national security interests as well
as the responsible management of strategic mineral resources;
(7) encourages strengthened local and international
implementation of supply chain traceability and due diligence
regulations targeting conflict minerals and supports reforms in
the mining sector to combat corruption and illicit financing;
(8) urges the President of the United States to take
measures to sanction corrupt actors, armed groups, including
the M23, the FDLR and the ADF for atrocities, war crimes and
crimes against humanity;
(9) encourages the use of targeted economic sanctions and
visa restrictions against individuals and entities that are
corrupt, obstructing peace, perpetrating violence, or
committing human rights abuses; and
(10) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to
supporting peace, democracy, and economic development in the
DRC and the African Great Lakes region.
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