Security Council Press Statement on Situation in Democratic Republic of Congo

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Ramlan Bin Ibrahim (Malaysia):

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the killing of at least 50 civilians on 13 August in the area of Rwangoma village, North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, by suspected members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

They expressed their deep concern regarding the persistence of violence in this region, where more than 700 civilians have been killed since October 2014.  They stressed the need for the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to conduct a thorough and prompt investigation into these attacks in order to ensure that those responsible are held to account.

The members of the Security Council called on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to take further military action, in accordance with international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as applicable, and with the support of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) in accordance with its mandate, to end the threat posed by the ADF and all other armed groups operating in the region.

They recalled that drivers behind different armed groups’ activities are varied and that there is no purely military solution to the problem of armed groups and emphasized the need for comprehensive military and civil responses to these armed groups.

The members of the Security Council reiterated their support to 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.