STATEMENT BY BINTOU KEITA, SPECIAL REREPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFING on MONUSCO
New York
29 March 2023
(spoke in French): First of all, I would like to thank members for the opportunity to present the Secretary-General’s report (S/2023/208) on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I also welcome the Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mr. Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Rwanda and the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Burundi to today’s meeting.
Since my previous briefing to the Council (see S/PV.9215), there has again been a marked deterioration in the security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. An intensification of the conflict with the Mouvement du 23 mars (M-23) and the persistent activity of other armed groups, such as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), the Zaire and the Coopérative pour le développement du Congo (CODECO), to name only a few, continue to inflict unbearable suffering on civilians and exacerbate the increasingly tragic humanitarian situation. In North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri, hundreds of thousands of people have fled the abuses of armed groups and the clashes between M-23 and the Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) and between CODECO and the Zaire. In North Kivu in particular, clashes between the M-23 and the FARDC have forced 900,000 people to flee their homes. The already considerable humanitarian needs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to increase. The humanitarian crisis remains one of the most neglected in the world.
The displaced persons whom I visited live in extremely dangerous conditions. I also take this opportunity to call for the mobilization of the necessary resources for the implementation of the 2023 humanitarian response plan, which requires $2.25 billion. I condemn the persistent obstacles to humanitarian access, such as the attack on a United Nations Humanitarian Air Service helicopter in February, which forced the World Food Programme to temporarily suspend its flights in conflict zones. I call upon all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and facilitate humanitarian access to vulnerable people, wherever they are located. With regard to the issue of displaced persons, I would like to focus on the particularly dangerous situation in which women find themselves. To ensure protection that is tailored to their needs, funding for the 2023 national plan for the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse is essential. More than $2 million is required to support those activities, especially in the areas affected by the M-23 crisis. Among the initiatives currently under way, I welcome the creation of a victim support fund and the provision of psychological assistance to women by the World Health Organization.
(spoke in English)
In response to those immense security and humanitarian challenges, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) is working tirelessly in hostile environments to fulfil its mandate. Our efforts are focused on supporting the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the execution of its core responsibility for the protection of civilians, as well as for the disarmament and demobilization of armed groups and the implementation of security sector reform.
With regard to the protection of civilians, MONUSCO has remained firmly engaged with the Congolese armed forces in the discharge of its key strategic priority of protecting civilians through a wide range of actions, including joint patrols, fire support, information-sharing, intelligence-gathering and logistical support. Our force has adopted an agile posture, allowing for the quick redeployment of troops in response to early-warning alerts and outbreaks of violence.
In Ituri, armed groups of CODECO, the ADF and the Zaire have taken advantage of the FARDC’s shift in focus towards Masisi and Rutshuru against the M-23. MONUSCO set up static combat units in Kambala and Bokuku to address the rising insecurity in Djugu territory, facilitate the movements of displaced people and secure humanitarian corridors. I urge the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to reinforce its military and police deployments in Ituri and pursue efforts to address the grave threat to civilians posed by the armed groups operating in the province.
The Mission also responded quickly to improvised explosive device terrorist attacks by the ADF in Beni territory by providing demining support and through the medical evacuation of injured civilians. In South Kivu, the Mission provided dedicated protection to the displaced populations in Bijombo and Mikenge. I would like to stress that the effectiveness of MONUSCO’s protection depends to a large extent on close and transparent collaboration with the FARDC and the foreign forces that are deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, either bilaterally or under the East African Community regional force, in order to ensure optimal planning and coordination, mutual safety and human rights protection. The year 2022 was one of the deadliest on record for MONUSCO peacekeepers. MONUSCO is operating in an increasingly complex, volatile and dangerous environment. Far too many of our United Nations peacekeepers are paying the ultimate price. I want to pay tribute to the sacrifices made by our forces and once again express my condolences following the death of a South African Blue Helmet during the attack on a MONUSCO helicopter near Goma in February.
Military operations alone will not provide stability in eastern Congo. I commend the regional efforts under way, such as the third phase of Nairobi process consultations, the Luanda process mini-summits and the successive holding of summit meetings by the East African Community and the African Union Peace and Security Council. Through the stewardship of regional bodies, the Nairobi and Luanda peace processes are being tailored to foster efforts to find sustainable solutions to the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. I call on the Council to lend its full weight to those efforts by encouraging the parties to abide by their commitments and ensuring that recalcitrant actors are held to account. I commend former President Kenyatta, as facilitator, for launching the preparations for the fourth stage of the Nairobi process, and Angola’s President Lourenço, as Chair of the International Conference on Great Lakes Region, mandated by the African Union, for deciding to deploy an Angolan contingent to support the ad hoc verification mechanism and the M-23 cantonment.
Tomorrow, 30 March, is the last day granted by the regional initiatives for the M-23 to withdraw to the vicinity of Mount Sabinyo, at the border with Rwanda and Uganda. The FARDC and the Angolan army have jointly identified locations for their cantonment. While the M-23 has withdrawn from some of its positions, it is still in control of large portions of Masisi, Rutshuru and Nyiragongo territories, in violation of the Luanda communiqué. I am once again calling on it to fully comply with the Luanda communiqué. The territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of the Congo must be respected by all in the region. While insecurity spreads, the tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda have continued to increase, resulting in several cross-border incidents. Those confrontations pose a severe risk of regional escalation.
(spoke in French)
In a context of insecurity and humanitarian crisis, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is preparing for general elections, scheduled for 20 December. I commend the dedication of the Congolese authorities and the Independent National Electoral Commission in their determination to meet the deadlines in the face of logistical challenges, and especially in the face of insecurity. In eastern Congo, the violence, clashes and population displacements, and the problem of the areas under the control of the M-23, are serious obstacles to the task of registering voters. In the west of the country, intercommunal violence in Mai-Ndombe to the process. In the light of those challenges and in line with its mandate, MONUSCO, in partnership with United Nations agencies, is supporting the electoral process and has responded by transporting 126 tons of electoral material for the Electoral Commission to North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri. MONUSCO is also supporting the inclusiveness and proper conduct of the electoral process through engagements with prospective candidates and civil society.
I welcome the efforts of the Electoral Commission, which is endeavouring to address the operational challenges of voter registration by extending registration periods, imposing sanctions to deter malpractice on the part of its agents and denouncing hate speech. However, the electoral process is still marked by a worrying lack of trust between the main stakeholders in civil society and the opposition, and has even led to a call for a boycott of the voter registration by part of the opposition. I reiterate my appeal to all Congolese stakeholders to work together to ensure a peaceful, transparent, credible and inclusive electoral process in strict compliance with the Constitution and electoral law. I reiterate the Mission’s readiness, through its mandate to use its good offices, to support them in that regard.
(spoke in English)
On 24 March, President Tshisekedi Tshilombo reshuffled his Government. I wish his new Administration success in implementing its programme. In addition to supporting the protection of civilians, MONUSCO remains committed to supporting the Government’s disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) and security-sector reform efforts. The Demobilization, Disarmament, Community Recovery and Stabilization Programme is the flagship DDR initiative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and MONUSCO is mandated to support it as a priority. While the Mission is assisting the development of screening and vetting mechanisms for ex-combatants, I encourage the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to remain firm in banning amnesty and army reintegration for those responsible for serious human rights violations. That will be essential to restore trust between the populations and State institutions. Greater complementarity must be promoted between the Programme and the national transitional justice process, with national consultations under way.
Similarly, the Demobilization, Disarmament, Community Recovery and Stabilization Programme cannot succeed without security-sector reform. I urge the new Government to invest in the operationalization of those processes, without which there can be no progress in stabilizing eastern Congo. Successful security-sector reform is also necessary to enable MONUSCO’s exit strategy and the transition to a new partnership with the United Nations. It will enable the deployment of the security forces and adequate financial resources required to re-establish State authority and swiftly implement development programmes, as well as to uphold human rights and foster community reconciliation. The Mission’s departure from Tanganyika illustrates what can be achieved with the necessary resolve. MONUSCO supported the deployment of 174 police officers to enable the successful handover of Bendera camp to the Congolese National Police in February. However, a stronger presence of Congolese security forces is required to avoid protection gaps. While United Nations agencies have mobilized resources to consolidate peace through joint projects, Government-led development and reconciliation efforts are still badly needed to sustain peace and stability.
(spoke in French)
In conclusion, I would like to thank the Council for its continued support to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and for its visit from 9 to 13 March, which demonstrated United Nations solidarity and mobilization in the face of the security, electoral and structural challenges in the country. I note that it was quickly followed by a visit from the African Union Peace and Security Council, demonstrating the solidarity and commitment of the region. I also welcome the Pope’s visit to Kinshasa from 31 January to 3 February, which brought messages of peace and reconciliation in these difficult times for the country.Finally, my thanks once again go to all the troop- and police-contributing countries and their personnel, and to the national and international civilian staff of the Mission. I commend their continuous efforts in support of the national and provincial authorities and the defence and security forces in the implementation of our mandate in a particularly difficult context.