Kinshasa Urges POW Protections At UN Meeting

New York, August 10, 2026 - The Democratic Republic of the Congo used a United Nations Arria formula meeting to press for stronger protection of prisoners of war and other people caught in armed conflict, including African foreign fighters stranded in war zones.

Jocelyne Kabengele Lukundula, the DRC's permanent representative to the UN, said human dignity should not be subordinated to political agendas. She welcomed recent prisoner exchanges but warned that African nationals can be drawn into conflicts because of economic vulnerability and then left exposed without adequate humanitarian protection.

Kabengele Lukundula said the DRC's experience in the Great Lakes region showed the consequences for civilians when protections under international humanitarian law erode. She argued that a purely military solution is not viable, underscoring Kinshasa's push to keep humanitarian obligations central in regional conflict diplomacy.