The Duchess of Edinburgh has returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The visit comes as the United Kingdom marks the 25th anniversary of Women, Peace and Security and UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and builds on The Duchess of Edinburgh’s previous visit to the DRC in 2022.
Visiting from Monday 29th September to Thursday 2nd October, The Duchess of Edinburgh met women peacebuilders working at the grassroots level to highlight their work supporting local peace initiatives and witnessed the devastating impact of the ongoing conflict, particularly on women and girls. This visit follows The Duchess’s first to the Democratic Republic of Congo, in 2022.
During this visit, The Duchess of Edinburgh travelled to the northeastern city of Beni in the province of North Kivu. Following the capture of Goma by the UN-sanctioned M23 armed group in January 2025, Beni has become the new regional capital and is now home to displaced DRC government authorities, the temporary Joint Force Headquarters of MONUSCO (the UN peacekeeping mission) and an increasingly important hub for humanitarian response, including support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). Beni now hosts hundreds of thousands of people from across the east, fleeing both M23 violence and attacks by IS-affiliated ADF.
The Duchess met UN peacekeeper ‘blue helmets’ from around the world, including the UK, at their jungle training facility, to hear about MONUSCO’s role in protecting civilians, supporting stabilisation efforts, and assisting the Congolese government with governance and security reforms.
Her Royal Highness heard from women peacebuilders about their vital role in conflict resolution, community resilience and advocacy for women’s rights, and their courage in continuing against a backdrop of threats and increasing risks of reprisal. The peacebuilders reflected on the impact of the conflict and the need for peace in a region where more than 120 militias and armed groups operate, many of which regularly perpetrate widespread violations and abuses against civilians.
The Duchess also visited Virunga Origins Café, an official partner of Virunga National Park, Africa’s oldest National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, Her Royal Highness heard about how the National Park provides jobs, champions women’s leadership, generates clean energy, and protects this uniquely biodiverse landscape and the communities that live there. The park is now the largest employer in the province of North Kivu.
At Beni General Hospital, The Duchess met clinicians providing lifesaving UK-funded sexual and reproductive health services to CRSV survivors.
The Duchess spent time with survivors to hear about their experiences, the support that they receive, and their hopes to support their families in the future. Her Royal Highness also met women and girls affected by the conflict and displacement at the UK-supported Women’s Safe Space; an initiative in Beni, which helps with psychosocial support and livelihoods training.
Following the visit to Beni, The Duchess of Edinburgh travelled to the capital, Kinshasa, where Her Royal Highness was received by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Her Excellency Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner. The Duchess later met the President of DRC, His Excellency Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo.
In Kinshasa, The Duchess returned to the newly expanded Panzi Clinic, once again meeting Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Dr Denis Mukwege, renowned for his work supporting survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. The Panzi Clinic is a one-stop centre that provides survivors of sexual violence with holistic care comprising medical, psychosocial, legal and socioeconomic support.
Whilst at the clinic, The Duchess listened to powerful testimonies from survivors who shared their experiences and details of the support they received. The Duchess also met team members from Swansea University working on the collaborative SPARC initiative between Swansea University, Panzi Hospital and the Scar Free Foundation, of which The Duchess is Patron. The initiative provides mutual expertise for the reconstruction and care of CRSV survivors.
Afterwards, The Duchess visited a safe house supporting survivors of a mass rape which took place during a mass escape attempt from Kinshasa’s Makala Central Prison in September 2024, during which hundreds of women detainees were assaulted by thousands of men. At the safe house, The Duchess met survivors and heard firsthand accounts of the trauma they endured and the challenges they continue to face, including injuries, rejection by their families and lack of income.
The safe house provides survivors with psychosocial care, protection services, and socio-economic support to aid their recovery and reintegration into society. Her Royal Highness joined discussions with legal professionals, including many displaced from eastern DRC, who are providing essential legal aid and advocacy.
On the final day of the visit, The Duchess of Edinburgh travelled to Kintambo General Hospital in Kinshasa. Alongside the first woman Prime Minister of DRC, Judith Suminwa, and the Minister for Health, Dr Samuel Roger Kamba Mulamba, The Duchess met patients, clinicians and members of civil society to better understand what measures are being put in place to strengthen the national health system.
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