Security Council Press Statement on Democratic Republic of the Congo

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Gary Quinlan (Australia):

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the massacres perpetrated against civilians on 20 November near the city of Beni in North Kivu.  These attacks have increased to more than 200 the number of civilians killed since mid-October in this region.  The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest condolences to the families of the victims.

They also condemned attacks targeted against peacekeepers of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).  They emphasized that any effort to undermine MONUSCO’s ability to implement its mandate will not be tolerated and that those responsible for threats or attacks against peacekeepers must be held accountable.

The members of the Security Council recalled that it was of the utmost importance that the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and MONUSCO, in accordance with its mandate in Security Council resolution 2147 (2014), permanently reduce threats against civilians, immediately redouble efforts to provide proactive protection of civilians and neutralize armed groups still operating in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.  They also underlined the need to identify those responsible for these attacks and to hold them accountable.

In addition to the Allied Defense Forces, the members of the Security Council reiterated their call for the neutralization of the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda in line with relevant Security Council resolutions and the Security Council presidential statement of 5 November 2014.

The members of the Security Council reiterated their support for MONUSCO and called on all parties to cooperate fully with the mission and to remain committed to the full and objective implementation of the mission’s mandate.