KIGALI, Rwanda
The EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib urged Congolese rebels to open humanitarian corridors Friday for aid access to millions of civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Lahbib met with leaders of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23), a rebel alliance in eastern Congo that includes M23 rebels, in Goma, as part of her regional tour, which took her to Rwanda and Burundi.
The visit was to assess the humanitarian needs on the ground and to advocate for humanitarian access with all parties to the conflict.
“I came to Goma with a humanitarian mandate. I had a frank and constructive meeting with representatives of AFC/M23 to press for humanitarian access for millions of civilians in eastern DRC. Aid must reach those in need without delay, through secure humanitarian corridors,” she told reporters. “International Humanitarian Law must be respected to protect civilians. This is a shared responsibility across the region. I conveyed this message in Kinshasa, Bujumbura and Kigali. I received commitments from all parties I met and I hope that these commitments will be implemented so that this mission bears fruit.”
Burundi’s troops are reportedly in the Congo fighting alongside government forces against M23 rebels.
Thousands of Congolese refugees displaced by conflict in eastern Congo have crossed into Burundi since December 2025.
The Congo is facing one of the most serious humanitarian crises in the world, due to the persistence of armed conflict and massive displacement of populations, according to the UN.
The EU announced it is mobilizing €81.2 million toward humanitarian aid across the Great Lakes, during Lahbib’s visit to the region.
The M23, allegedly supported by Rwanda, according to the UN and Western nations, controls significant territory in eastern Congo, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu seized early in 2025.
The Dem. Rep. of Congo, UN and Western nations accuse Rwanda of supporting M23, but Rwanda has denied the charges.
