Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi will not travel to New York as planned to personally preside over the United Nations Security Council’s high-level public debate on natural resource governance as the foundation for peace, security and prosperity. The event was scheduled for July 22 2026.

This engagement was expected to mark the culmination of the DRC’s presidency of the UN Security Council for July 2026, following the July 13 Arria formula meeting in New York chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner.

According to sources close to the matter, the change in plans responds to the evolving political and security landscape in the country, which demands President Tshisekedi’s sustained presence and close oversight in Kinshasa. The sources did not elaborate on the specific nature of these developments.