S/PV.10075 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Security Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2025/779, which contains the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Members of the Council have before them document S/2025/824, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by France. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements before the voting.

At the outset, I would like to pay tribute to the decisive action of Ms. Bintou Keita at the helm of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) over the course of nearly six years. I would also like to thank the members of the Council for their steadfast engagement in these negotiations. As usual, France has endeavored to take into account the positions of all Council members to achieve a consensus-based outcome. The Council was called upon to negotiate this draft resolution (S/2025/824) under unusual circumstances. On Friday, we met while the Mouvement du 23 mars continued its offensive in South Kivu, after conquering Uvira, with the support of the Rwanda Defence Force. This situation naturally had an impact on the course of the negotiations. The draft resolution which will be put to the vote seeks to place MONUSCO at the forefront of support for the peace efforts, including the efforts of the African Union and the mediation of Togo, the efforts of the subregional organizations and their facilitators, and, of course, lastly, the efforts of the United States and Qatar. With regard to the verification of the ceasefire, the draft resolution adopts a phased approach. MONUSCO is now authorized to support the implementation of a permanent ceasefire, in particular in support of the mechanism agreed upon by the parties in Doha and its regional component. In several months, the Council will have the opportunity to again decide on the modalities of this engagement. It will do so on the basis of proposals from the Secretary-General and developments on the ground. This approach reflects a willingness to compromise among the various positions expressed during the negotiations, in a spirit of responsibility. Lastly, the text reiterates that restrictions on MONUSCO’s freedom of movement and the exercise of its mandate are unacceptable. The Council must stand ready to act if those restrictions continue.

I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now.

The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2808 (2025). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

The Security Council has just adopted resolution 2808 (2025), renewing the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) for one year. China voted in favour of the resolution and recognizes the efforts of the penholder in building consensus among all parties. MONUSCO is led by the United Nations and implements the mandate from the Security Council. China supports MONUSCO in playing its role in promoting the peace process in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, no country should, out of selfish interests, customize MONUSCO to match its own political agenda. The Security Council must uphold the independence, neutrality and authority of MONUSCO and adhere to the basic principles governing peacekeeping operations. Only in this way will MONUSCO gain the trust and support of all Member States. The resolution calls upon the Secretary-General to formulate proposals for MONUSCO to support the implementation of the ceasefire. We hope that the Secretary-General will fully take into account the actual situation of the ceasefire on the ground and the capabilities of MONUSCO and clarify the Mission’s role and scope of responsibilities. Relevant proposals should be effective, feasible and in line with the spirit of the UN80 Initiative. Recently, situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has taken a sharp turn for the worse. The Mouvement du 23 mars (M23) attacked and occupied Uvira, which China finds seriously concerning. We urge the M23 to implement the requirements of resolution 2808 (2025), immediately withdraw from Uvira and other cities, stop all military operations and further expansion and refrain from entering provinces, including Tanganyika and Maniema. The mediators should effectively fulfil their duties by bringing their influence to bear on the M23 and promoting a prompt ceasefire on the ground. The deployment of MONUSCO should be adjusted in a timely manner in the light of the situation on the ground so as to prevent the spillover of the conflict and maintain peace and stability in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the broader region. China firmly supports the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s efforts to uphold the country’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and to restore governance and authority in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo at an early date. All countries from outside the region should stay truly committed to peace

The Russian Federation voted in favour of the French-drafted resolution 2808 (2025), on extending the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This document is the fruit of complicated compromises following days of discussions, and it sets out important goals and benchmarks, which create a trajectory that will enable the Mission to revert to the full-fledged implementation of its mandate and play a significant role in facilitating conflict resolution in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Specifically, this pertains to participation in monitoring a possible ceasefire regime, which needs to be established in accordance with resolution 2773 (2025) and on the basis of mutual obligations of the parties under the Doha Framework for a Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the Peace Agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda. We expect the Secretariat to provide detailed proposals on the specific modalities of the Mission’s engagement in the Ceasefire Oversight and Verification Mechanism agreed within the framework of the Doha process by 1 March 2026. On a separate note, we would like to emphasize that, in accordance with the resolution adopted today, a Security Council decision to deploy peacekeepers to South Kivu for that purpose will be possible only after written notification from the Mission’s leadership that the situation in this province allows for this to be done. Unfortunately, developments on the ground currently suggest that certain parties to the conflict believe that it can be resolved militarily. We are convinced that they are profoundly mistaken. Moreover, by intensifying hostilities directly along the border with Burundi, such parties are placing themselves at significantly higher risk. We call on the parties to halt hostilities, honour their obligations and implement resolution 2773 (2025), which spells out the key solutions for resolving this brutal conflict for the benefit of the millions of residents of both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the other countries of the region. The Security Council has said its piece and has authorized the Mission to make its contribution, provided that all of this is implemented.

The United States is pleased to vote to renew the mandate of this critical Mission — the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) — for another year, and we thank France for leading the negotiations. We are pleased to have this peacekeeping Mission strategically placed to assist in President Trump’s ongoing efforts to chart a path for peace in the region. Unfortunately, negotiations to renew MONUSCO’s mandate were yet again disrupted by the efforts of Rwanda and the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23) to sabotage a viable peace process. During the negotiations, we considered further changes to the mandate so as to facilitate the implementation of the Doha Framework for a Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Sadly, M23’s advance on Uvira, supported by the Rwanda Defence The M23’s commitment to withdraw from the city of Uvira is not sufficient. It must immediately withdraw at least 75 kilometres from Uvira and return to compliance with all of its obligations under the Doha Framework. We strongly condemn the M23’s advance on Uvira and beyond, as well as Rwanda’s continued support for the M23, in violation of its obligations under the Peace Agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda, also known as the Washington Agreement. The United States remains firmly committed to the Washington Agreement and their promise of peace and prosperity for the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and we support the efforts of the Doha process. We expect full adherence by the parties to both agreements. If the M23 and Rwanda choose to abide by their obligations, then MONUSCO, through this mandate, will be able to support the implementation of both processes. The Mission stands ready to provide critical logistical support to the mechanism agreed by M23 and the Democratic Republic of the Congo for monitoring and verifying a ceasefire. This new mandate also bolsters MONUSCO’s ongoing demobilization and repatriation of members of the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR), ensuring it can be as effective as possible. We urge Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to do more to support these efforts and to immediately cut any ties with the FDLR. We should be very clear: while MONUSCO is a key enabler, the responsibility to fulfil these commitments rests solely with the parties. If the parties fulfil their obligations, there is much more that MONUSCO could do, including by supporting resumed flows of humanitarian assistance that local populations desperately need, potentially serving as an interpositional force to prevent ceasefire violations between the parties and other critical tasks. We look forward to reviewing progress towards implementation in March and assessing the need for additional roles for MONUSCO at that time.

Pakistan voted in favour of resolution 2808 (2025), on renewing the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). This has been a particularly difficult mandate renewal, being the first since the takeover of significant areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23). In this context, Pakistan appreciates the flexible and constructive approach of the French delegation, which enabled the Council to bridge differences and arrive at a text that preserved unity. Pakistan underscores that the effective implementation of this resolution must be ensured by the parties, particularly the implementation of the ceasefire. We urge the M23 to immediately halt its advances and to fully abide by the commitments under the Doha Framework for a Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the Peace Agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda. The Mission must be allowed to operate freely and safely in carrying out the mandate entrusted to it by the Council. Further restrictions on MONUSCO, obstructing performance of its mandate, should lead to strict measures by the Council against the M23 and its supporters. This resolution represents a continuation of resolution 2773 (2025), the full implementation of which remains indispensable for peace in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

I have the honour to deliver this explanation of vote on behalf of the African members of the Security Council plus one (A3+), namely Algeria, Guyana, Somalia and my own country, Sierra Leone. We extend our appreciation to the delegation of France for facilitating the negotiations of this resolution (resolution 2808 (2025)). Throughout the process, the A3+ engaged constructively and in good faith, clearly articulating our concerns and remaining fully committed to meaningful dialogue. We note that some of our concerns were not reflected in the text. We, however, welcome the adoption of resolution 2808 (2025) and express our gratitude for the Council’s continued attention and support for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We voted in favour of this resolution in the spirit of compromise and in recognition of the incremental progress achieved since the renewed offensive of the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23)/Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) against the Congolese people earlier this month. This year has been particularly harrowing for the people of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, whose suffering has persisted for far too long. This is also true for the men and women serving courageously under the United Nations flag who continue to carry out their duties in extremely challenging circumstances. The resolution just adopted rightly underscores the Council’s grave concern over the rapidly deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, driven by the ongoing and violent offensive of the M23/AFC and the Allied Democratic Forces, the Coopérative pour le développement du Congo, the Convention pour la révolution populaire and other armed groups. The A3+ strongly condemns the continued attack by the M23/AFC against the Congolese population and unequivocally calls on the group to immediately cease its territorial expansion in North and South Kivu. We further call on the M23/AFC to relinquish all territory under its control and to dismantle all parallel administrations. The scale of displacement, loss of life and destruction of livelihoods underscore the urgency of decisive and collective engagement by the Council. While today we have once again renewed the mandate of MONUSCO, and while regional diplomatic initiatives and international efforts, including those emanating from Washington and Doha, continue, the Council must confront a sobering reality. These efforts have yet to translate to peace on the ground and achieve the end to a conflict that has devastated Congolese communities for more than three decades. The persistence of this war behoves us to consider the factors that continue to enable it and should force us to take more decisive actions to address those within the Council’s remit. In conclusion, as the regional representatives on the Council, the A3+ reaffirms its unwavering commitment to supporting all genuine efforts aimed at restoring peace, security, territorial integrity and stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in full respect of regional leadership and the aspirations of the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.