Press Statement on Situation in Democratic Republic of Congo
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Vanessa Frazier (Malta):
The members of the Security Council met on 27 March to discuss the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They were briefed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Bintou Keita.
The members of the Security Council strongly condemned the resumption of attacks by the March 23 Movement (M23) in North Kivu and in other areas, worsening security and stability in the region and exacerbating the current dire humanitarian situation. They also condemned all armed groups operating in the country. They demanded the immediate cessation of hostilities and of any further advances by the M23 and its unconditional withdrawal from all occupied areas as agreed through the African Union-endorsed Luanda Process.
The members of the Security Council expressed concern at the number of internally displaced persons in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, and called on all donors to scale up support in response to the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan. They called on all parties, in particular the M23 and the Congolese armed groups, to allow, in accordance with international law, including applicable international humanitarian law, and consistent with the guiding principles of humanitarian assistance, safe, timely and unhindered humanitarian access to those in need, and to refrain from any violence against civilians.
The members of the Security Council expressed concern about continued violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights, including gender-based violence and sexual violence in conflict, recruitment and use of children. They further expressed concern about the intensification of misinformation and disinformation. They renewed their condemnation of hate speech targeting any community and fuelling intercommunal violence. They emphasized the importance of protection of civilians and ensuring accountability for these violations, including sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict situations.
The members of the Security Council condemned foreign military support provided to M23 and any other armed group operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and demanded the cessation of such support and the immediate withdrawal of any such external party from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They expressed deep concern at the reports of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo on foreign military support for M23 and direct military interventions on Democratic Republic of the Congo territory. They also condemned support, notably provided by military forces, to certain armed groups such as the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR) and demanded the cessation of such support.
The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms recent attacks against MONUSCO, its personnel and its assets, resulting in severe injuries among peacekeepers and wished a speedy and full recovery to those injured. They reiterated their strong support for the active steps taken by MONUSCO to implement its mandate, including targeted offensive operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to neutralize armed groups. They requested the Secretary-General, Member States and the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to take all appropriate measures to ensure the safety and security of MONUSCO’s personnel, in line with resolution 2518 (2020), in line with UN guidelines and best practices to improve safety of peacekeepers. They reiterated the importance of enhancing MONUSCO’s local community engagement in its use of strategic communications and stressed the importance of preventing and countering disinformation campaigns and misinformation aimed at undermining the mission’s credibility and hindering the implementation of its mandate.
The members of the Security Council reiterated their support to the gradual, responsible and sustainable withdrawal of MONUSCO. In this regard, they emphasized the importance of enhanced communication among MONUSCO, troop- and police-contributing countries and Democratic Republic of the Congo authorities in this process. They strongly encouraged Democratic Republic of the Congo authorities to take concrete action, including acceleration of the security sector reform and timely implementation of the Programme national de désarmement, de démobilisation, de relèvement communautaire et de stabilisation (P-DDRCS), in accordance with the disengagement plan to avoid any security gaps in South Kivu in order to ensure effective protection of civilians, especially women and children. They reiterated their readiness to consider further steps of this process at the end of this first phase based upon progress towards satisfying the objectives and criteria set out in the disengagement plan and taking into consideration the situation on the ground.
The members of the Security Council called on all parties to maintain diplomatic dialogue and to engage on concrete steps towards de-escalation. They expressed support to all efforts aimed at reaching a cessation of hostilities and commended in particular the efforts of the President of Angola and Chair of the South African Development Community (SADC), João Lourenço, to mediate between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda through the Luanda Process. They welcomed the meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda in Luanda on 21 March and encouraged further progress between the two countries in furtherance of durable peace in the region. They further emphasized the crucial role of regional peace processes, in particular Luanda and Nairobi processes, and their continued support by Angola, MONUSCO, the Office of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes and international partners.
The members of the Security Council took note of the African Union Peace and Security Council communiqué adopted after the meeting on the situation in DRC held on 4 March 2024. They also took note of the communique of the Extra-Ordinary Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ Troika Plus SADC Troika of 23 March 2024. They acknowledged steps taken to operationalize the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo and expressed concern at reports regarding the attack on a SAMIDRC base on 27 March. They stressed the importance of protection of civilians and of coordination and information sharing with MONUSCO and the need to carry out all operations in strict compliance with international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as applicable. They recalled the provisions outlined in resolution 2717 (2023) regarding the conditions under which MONUSCO could provide its support to an African Union mandated regional force deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The members of the Security Council reaffirmed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as all States in the region. They reiterated their full support to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Bintou Keita, and for the stabilizing actions of MONUSCO.