Armed Groups, Hate Speech, Lack of Dialogue in Great Lakes Region Cannot Go Ignored, Special Envoy Tells Security Council
Speakers Urge More Regional Efforts to Tackle Root Causes of Conflict
Armed groups’ hostilities in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and any support to them must cease, the Security Council heard today, as members urged strengthened regional cooperation and dialogue to tackle the root causes of the conflict in the country and the wider region and arrive at a political solution.
Xia Huang, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region, briefing the 15-member organ on the Secretary-General’s latest report on the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region (document S/2023/730), said the security and humanitarian situation have not improved since his last briefing to the Council six months ago. Pointing to the risk of direct confrontation between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, he warned: “The military strengthening in both countries, the absence of direct high-level dialogue and the persistence of hate speech are all worrying signs that we cannot ignore.”
“The [Addis Ababa] Framework Agreement remains central for peace and security in the Great Lakes region,” he said, urging armed groups to lay down weapons and involved parties to engage in dialogue for a political solution. Welcoming the efforts of regional actors and the international community, he called for an increase in humanitarian assistance alongside facilitating the return of refugees and ensuring that children get an education.
João Samuel Caholo, Executive Secretary, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), briefing via video-teleconference, pointed out that the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes are at a standstill, while the activities of local armed groups in Masisi and Rutshuru have led to displacement and a critical humanitarian situation. She urged the Council to pay greater attention to developments in Central African Republic and Sudan, as well as to Ansar al-Sunna's activities in northern Mozambique.
Joséphine Kavira Nzaira Malimukono, President of the Concertation of Collectives of Women’s Associations of the Great Lakes Region, underscored the crucial role of civil society organizations. Detailing the human cost of conflict, she called for a special meeting on the situation in the Great Lakes where women can present their peace and security agenda.
In the ensuing debate, Council members once again voiced concern about the deteriorating security situation as well as grave human rights violations against women and children. They echoed calls for armed groups to cease hostilities and for those supporting them to stop doing so. Delegates also underscored the importance of regional cooperation in ongoing initiatives and the need to address the illegal exploitation of natural resources.
“We particularly demand the end of any further advances by the 23 March Movement (M23) and call for its unconditional and immediate withdrawal from all occupied territories, as agreed through the Luanda process,” said Ghana’s representative, speaking also for Gabon and Mozambique. Urging coordination and complementarity between political and military initiatives in the Democratic Republic of Congo, he said an effective alignment and coordination of all peace initiatives will lead to a unified and strengthened African response that is fit for purpose.
The United States’ representative called directly on Rwanda to end its support to the UN-sanctioned M23 and on the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to cut ties with the UN-sanctioned Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda. Echoing other speakers, she voiced concern about the alarming humanitarian situation, stating: “A man-made political crisis has led to a man-made humanitarian crisis, and it must end.
The United Kingdom’s representative warned that a rushed withdrawal of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) would create a significant security vacuum in east of the country, putting hundreds of thousands of civilians at risk and aggravating the humanitarian situation.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s delegate said that his country’s short-term priority is restoring peace in the east. That requires the withdrawal of all Rwandan troops including elements of its army in the M23, as well as the return of the displaced. Voicing support for the Nairobi and Luanda processes, he called on the Council to maintain maximum pressure on Rwanda to comply with its commitments.
Rwanda’s representative said that the Luanda and Nairobi processes have not been implemented due to a lack of political will. Expressing alarm at growing hate speech and xenophobia, he said that the Council must break its silence and condemn the persecution of Rwandaphones, and especially the Tutsi communities, in the east. Rhetoric surrounding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of Congo that fails to evoke neighbouring countries is completely misplaced, he said, emphasizing that every country’s territorial integrity matters.
https://press.un.org/en/2023/sc15447.doc.htm
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий