STATEMENT BY BINTOU KEITA, SPECIAL REREPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFING on MONUSCO
New York
11 DECEMBER 2023
(spoke in French)
At the outset, I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to brief the Security Council on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the eve of the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). I also welcome the presence of His Excellency Mr. Zenon Ngay Mukongo, representing the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ms. Sandrine Lusamba, National Coordinator of Solidarité Féminine pour la Paix, representing civil society, as well as the representative of Rwanda.
Today we are at a turning point in the relations between the United Nations and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as an important moment for the country itself. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the middle of an election period, nine days away from presidential and legislative elections — national and provincial as well as local. It is also calling for an accelerated, orderly and responsible withdrawal of MONUSCO, for which a special report of the Secretary-General and a joint disengagement plan with recommendations have been sent to the Council. The eastern part of the country, in particular the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, is also still facing a security and humanitarian crisis that is extremely difficult for the people living there, in addition to persistent regional tensions. All of those factors must be taken into consideration in order to enable us to redefine our partnership.
(spoke in English)
The report before the Council (S/2023/932) provides an update on the situation on the ground, which has been marked by steady progress in the electoral process. It also highlights the continued and escalating insecurity in the eastern part of the country, which is particularly related to the renewed Mouvement du 23 mars (M-23) crisis but also to the emergence of new pockets of insecurity in other parts of the country, notably the greater Katanga region, as well as Mai- Ndombe and Tshopo provinces. Unfortunately the situation in North Kivu has further deteriorated since the publication of the report. The regional tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda have further escalated, heightening the risk of a direct military confrontation that could also draw in Burundi.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), the preparations for the elections are making good progress, despite significant logistical, financial and security challenges. As requested by CENI, and consistent with its mandate, MONUSCO has provided logistical support in the provinces where it is still operating. Fifty tons of electoral material have so far been transported to various locations in Ituri and North and South Kivu. The validation of 26 presidential candidates, including two female candidates, by CENI and the Constitutional Court is a tangible sign of inclusivity that should be appreciated and commended. Nevertheless, the opposition and civil society continue to be seriously concerned about the publication of the voter rolls, which had not yet been done at all polling stations by 5 December as the law requires. The quality of voter cards, the difficulty of obtaining duplicates throughout the country and insufficient communication on voting procedures for those whose cards are defective or who find that they are not on the voter lists all fuel mistrust among electoral stakeholders. National electoral observation missions have also raised concerns about their accreditation, without which they will be unable to ensure proper coverage of the polls. I call on CENI to do everything it can to urgently address those issues.
While the electoral campaign began relatively peacefully, with most presidential candidates able to tour the country, violent clashes between supporters of rival political parties are occurring in many provinces. Women political leaders and candidates have continued to experience intimidation and physical and verbal misogynistic attacks aimed at discouraging their full and active participation in the public arena. MONUSCO, together with United Nations agencies, funds and programmes and other partners, has continued to support female and youth candidates, observers and party witnesses, with the aim of increasing the participation of women and young people in the electoral process.
I am alarmed by the proliferation of mis- and disinformation, as well as hate speech, on- and offline, in the context of the electoral campaign. I call on all stakeholders to refrain from such practices and urge the Government to hold those responsible to account. It is also deeply regrettable that more than 1.5 million Congolese citizens living in the conflict-affected territories of Masisi and Rutshuru in North Kivu province, as well as Kwamouth in Mai-Ndombe province, will not be able to vote in December, in addition to internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in IDP sites.(spoke in French)The security, humanitarian and human rights situation has unfortunately deteriorated in southern North Kivu province, particularly following the resumption in October of hostilities between the Congolese armed forces and the M-23, and the M-23 offensive in Masisi territory following the start of the withdrawal of the East African Community force troops. Tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda also remain very high, as does the risk of a military escalation between the two countries, despite regional and international efforts to ease tensions. In that regard, I congratulate the Government on officially banning all relations between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda. The expansion of the joint Operation Shujaa, between the FARDC and Ugandan armed forces in the north of the province, has put the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) armed group under pressure without, however, being able to prevent new attacks on civilians.
In Ituri, insecurity is primarily fuelled by the Coopérative pour le développement du Congo, Zaire, the Force de résistance patriotique de l’Ituri and the Front patriotique et intégrationniste du Congo armed groups, as well as ADF. Djugu and Irumu continue to be the main hotbeds of insecurity. Coordinated operations by the FARDC and MONUSCO have been able to repel several attacks on civilians, but the lack of resources to ensure State authority in the province remains extreme.
To protect civilians, MONUSCO and the FARDC carried out six joint operations in Ituri and North Kivu in the last quarter. Operation Springbok, in particular, was launched in November to secure the towns of Goma and Sake and, thus far, is proving to be an effective deterrent against attempts by the Mouvement du 23 mars (M-23) to advance towards these two towns.
In South Kivu, although the number of violent incidents has decreased in recent months, pockets of insecurity remain, in particular in the areas of Kalehe, Mwenga, Shabunda, Uvira and Fizi.
I remain concerned about the recent increase in tensions between Rwanda and Burundi, following the engagement of the Burundian forces against the M-23 in Masisi, and call for calm to prevent any escalation.
At the request of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the mandate of the East African Community regional force has not been extended beyond 8 December, and it has begun its withdrawal. Indeed, more than 500 soldiers from Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda have already left the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Meanwhile, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is preparing to deploy a new force in the upcoming weeks, the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which should have an offensive mandate.
These regional efforts are commendable. Nevertheless, they cannot achieve their objectives without the continued and sustained investment of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the regional, national and local political conflict resolution processes in the east of the country. That investment must go hand in hand with security sector reform in the country and the implementation of its Disarmament, Demobilization, Community Recovery and Stabilization Programme. MONUSCO, along with the International Organization for Migration and in close cooperation with the provincial structures of the Programme, continues to support community reintegration projects for more than 6,000 beneficiaries in the three provinces in the east.
(spoke in English)
Insecurity has compounded the ongoing humanitarian crisis. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than 6.3 million people are internally displaced across the country, the vast majority of them, 5.5 million, in the three eastern provinces alone. According to preliminary figures, more than 500,000 people have fled their homes, following renewed hostilities between the M-23 and the Congolese armed forces since early October.
In parallel, outbreaks of cholera and measles have continued to exacerbate the precarious humanitarian situation, with cholera transmission rates being four times higher than the previous year. The incidences of gender-based violence and sexual exploitation have reached alarming levels, with more than 90,000 cases documented since the beginning of the year — 39,000 of those cases were recorded in North Kivu alone. This is totally unacceptable.
As of November, the country’s humanitarian response plan for 2023 remained drastically underfunded, with only 35.5 per cent of the required $2.25 billion raised thus far. I strongly urge donors to provide the resources required to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches those in need. With the accelerated withdrawal of the Mission, MONUSCO, together with the United Nations country team, is exploring alternative options to ensure continued humanitarian assistance beyond the Mission’s presence.
I welcome the presidential statement of 16 October (S/PRST/2023/5), which ushered in a new phase of constructive cooperation with the Government. Following weeks of intensive consultations between the Government and MONUSCO, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Christophe Lutundula, and I signed a joint disengagement plan on 21 November, which was submitted to the Council on 23 November.
Throughout this process, MONUSCO will need to focus on its core mandated priorities, namely the protection of civilians, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and security sector reform, which remain critical to creating an enabling environment for sustainable disengagement, together with a surge of political engagement, in coordination with the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region. Subject to the Council’s authorization, the Mission also stands ready to support regional forces’ operations, in full compliance with the human rights due diligence policy. I call on the members of the Council and the broader international community to ensure that all the necessary support, including financial support, is provided to the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes in order for them to continue their support in relevant areas, to the Congolese authorities and institutions.
In conclusion, let me turn to a profoundly serious issue with the potential to jeopardize all of our efforts in an irreversible way. The misconduct of some of our staff members, be it within the force, police or civilians, is an indelible stain on our work. I wish to reiterate that the Mission, in close coordination with United Nations Headquarters and Member States, is working tirelessly to prevent and improve our response to cases of sexual exploitation and abuse. That includes risk assessment and prevention initiatives, swift investigative action and the timely provision of support to victims.
(spoke in French)
Although the challenges in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are many and complex, they are far from being insurmountable. As demonstrated by the current discussions about the general elections, the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo aspire deeply to transparent and inclusive governance, reform and responsible leaders. Those aspirations and all of the motivations underpinning them have shown their considerable resilience and deserve the full support of the international community. The presidential statement of 16 October has allowed for the restoration of a constructive partnership between the Mission and the Government. The renewal of MONUSCO’s mandate must allow us to continue this joint effort in a spirit of mutual respect and trust.