S/PV.9297 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. At this meeting, the Security Council will hear briefings by the co-leads of the Security Council mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 9 to 12 March, namely, the representatives of France and Gabon. I now call on the representative of France.

It was an honour to lead the Security Council mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo alongside you, Mr. President, and the Permanent Representative of Gabon. The visit allowed members of the Council to take stock of the situation on the ground. I thank the Congolese authorities for their welcome and the teams of the Secretariat and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) for their support in setting up the visit. The visit provided the opportunity to reaffirm the Security Council’s firm commitment to sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In Kinshasa, our discussions with the President of the Republic, the members of his Government, the President of the National Assembly and the Vice-President of the Senate were rich in lessons. The security situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is deteriorating, with an increase in attacks by armed groups. The discussions focused in particular on the attacks by the Mouvement du 23 mars (M-23), which are exacerbating the security and humanitarian situation and threaten the stability of the region. In that context, the Security Council issued clear demands for the immediate cessation of hostilities and that the M-23 stop any further advance and withdraw from all occupied areas in accordance with the Luanda process. The Congolese armed groups must participate in the Nairobi process, with a view towards their demobilization. Foreign armed groups must return to their countries of origin. Our visit also provided us with the opportunity to acknowledge the work of MONUSCO and pay tribute to the Blue Helmets who have lost their lives. The Mission is doing vital work to protect civilians and support stabilization. Its resources must be shored up. The dialogue between MONUSCO and the Congolese authorities to advance the transition should also be pursued. In that regard, I reiterate our support for Special Representative of the Secretary General Bintou Keita and Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region Huang Xia. In Kinshasa, we also met with representatives of civil society and various political groups. The country is moving towards the holding of elections that are scheduled for the end of the year. The Security Council encouraged all political actors to continue to work for peaceful, transparent, inclusive and credible processes related to the elections, in accordance with the Constitution and the electoral law throughout the country. I will now defer to the Permanent Representative of Gabon, who will now report on the mission’s discussions in Goma.

I thank the representative of France for his briefing, I now call on the representative of Gabon.

I join the Permanent Representative of France in thanking the Congolese authorities for hosting the Security Council mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In Goma, the Security Council delegation met with the military Governor of North Kivu, the Minister for Defence and the Minister of Social Affairs, Humanitarian Actions and National Solidarity. We were able to discuss the security situation that has seriously deteriorated in the region, owing to the increase in attacks by armed and terrorist groups, the implementation of the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), the humanitarian situation and the root causes of the conflict. The regional dimension was at the core of our discussions during our meetings with representatives of the Nairobi and Luanda processes and the leadership of the verification mechanisms. The processes must produce concrete results in constructive cooperation with the United Nations. I am thinking in particular of the synergies between the East African Community regional force and MONUSCO. The Security Council mission visited the Bushagara camp for displaced persons. As in many other such camps, meeting the needs of the most vulnerable populations is an immense undertaking. I welcome the humanitarian response provided by the United Nations. The international community must make greater efforts to support it in funding the humanitarian response plan and protecting refugees and displaced persons. In Goma, the Security Council also met with women representatives of civil society. Our discussions focused on the fight against sexual violence and the resurgence of armed groups. Members of the mission firmly condemned such violence. Those accused of such crimes must be prosecuted and tried. The Government’s efforts to protect victims and establish a reparations fund must be pursued. The Security Council mission was also able to meet with several experts to discuss the fight against the illegal exploitation of natural resources, which continues to finance the activities of armed and terrorist groups. Several initiatives by the Congolese authorities are under way to ensure that the use of their natural resources is for the benefit of the Congolese people. Those initiatives and the efforts of the region to implement international regulatory tools must be supported. In conclusion, the message conveyed by the Security Council during the visit was clear. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is not alone. The sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo must be respected. International partners, the United Nations and regional organizations must act together to support the stabilization of the Great Lakes region.

I thank the representative of Gabon for his briefing. On behalf of the Council, I should like to express appreciation to the Secretariat and all members of the Security Council that participated in the mission for the manner in which they discharged their important responsibilities.