Security Council Press Statement on Democratic Republic of Congo

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President François Delattre (France):

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the attacks perpetrated by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) on 9 October 2017 in North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, against a base of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), which led to the death of two peacekeepers from the United Republic of Tanzania, as well as the injury of 18 other peacekeepers.

The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of the peacekeepers killed, as well as to the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, and to MONUSCO.  They wished the injured peacekeepers a speedy recovery.

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms all attacks and provocations against MONUSCO by armed groups.

The members of the Security Council called on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to swiftly investigate these attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice.  They called on all armed groups in the country to lay down their weapons and underlined that attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.

The members of the Security Council reiterated their full support for MONUSCO and expressed their deep appreciation to MONUSCO’s troop- and police-contributing countries.

The members of the Security Council reiterated their full support to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Maman Sidikou, and to MONUSCO to fully implement their mandate.