S/PV.9699 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2024/593, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by France and Sierra Leone. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Sierra Leone. As co-penholder with France, Sierra Leone thanks Council members for their constructive engagement in support on this draft resolution. We appreciate the excellent partnership in co-penning, with France, this important draft resolution. From the request of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the endorsement of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union and the letter (S/2024/519) transmitted by the Secretary- General outlining his options for the provision of support to the Southern African Development Community Mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SAMIDRC), members of the Security Council demonstrated unity during the negotiations for the stabilization of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. That is an indication that the Security Council has not turned a blind eye to the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The draft resolution also seeks to create a conducive environment for the implementation of ongoing regional peace efforts, including welcoming the recent ceasefire agreement that was brokered by Angola between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. We believe that dialogue is extremely critical for the settlement of disputes between the conflicting parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Sierra Leone attaches great importance to the protection of civilian as has therefore called on troop- contributing countries and the SAMIDRC Force Commander to take active steps in minimizing the risk of harm to civilians. The draft resolution also stresses the importance of the protection of civilians and of ensuring coherence, coordination, complementarity and efficient articulation of the efforts among the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) the Forces armées de la république démocratique du Congo and the SAMIDRC. The draft resolution further authorizes MONUSCO to support the SAMIDRC to enhance coordination, information sharing and technical assistance, as well as the use of MONUSCO’s logistical assets and military capabilities within the area of MONUSCO’s deployment. Based on that, we call on all Council members to vote in favour of the draft resolution. I resume my functions as President of the Council. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements before the voting.

France thanks Sierra Leone for the excellent cooperation in the negotiation of this text (S/2024/593), as well all the members of the Council for their commitment during the negotiations. As you pointed out, Mr. President, the draft resolution will enable the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to support the regional force deployed under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the conduct of its activities. If adopted, the United Nations mission will be able to provide technical support for the protection of civilians and logistical support in the event of a medical evacuation, as well as to share intelligence. That will be a significant step in consolidating international efforts to combat the violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. France will continue to advocate to that end and to deploy all the means at its disposal to promote peace and security in the Great Lakes region. In that regard, France welcomes the ceasefire agreement concluded between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda under the auspices of Angola and calls for its respect by all actors.

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 2746 (2024). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the three African members of the Council  — Algeria, Mozambique and Sierra Leone — and my own country, Guyana (A3+). Let me begin by expressing my appreciation to your delegation, Mr. President, and to the French delegation for ably steering the process for the development of resolution 2746 (2024), which was just adopted. This resolution comes during a critical period for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region, given the challenging security situation that continues to prevail in the country’s eastern provinces, principally owing to the activities of armed groups operating in the territory. The A3+ is of the firm view that a permanent solution to the problem of those armed groups requires strong support and political will at the national, regional and international levels. There are already mechanisms in place at each of those levels to counter the threat posed by the armed groups; they need only be consistently and strategically activated. At the national level, it is critical to accelerate the implementation of the Nairobi process to sustainably address the problem of local armed groups. Simultaneously, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo must continue its efforts towards establishing a strong State presence throughout the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. That is a critical part of achieving security and stability  — a well-equipped and functioning State apparatus that can effectively administer the territory while countering all threats. At the regional level, the A3+ emphasizes the critical contributions of organizations such as the African Union, the Southern Africa Development Community and the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region in addressing the protracted conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mechanisms such as the Luanda process and the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region are also important for addressing peace and security issues in the region and for reducing tensions between countries. We commend the role that President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço of Angola is playing in facilitating engagement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda under the Luanda process and welcome the recent ceasefire brokered under that framework. We urge the parties to demonstrate the necessary political will to ensure that the ceasefire leads to a permanent de-escalation of tensions and to the development of good-neighbourly relations and strong cooperation for the benefit of the Congolese and the people of Rwanda. While we acknowledge the potential for strong action at the national and regional levels, the A3+ underscores that the Security Council has a key role to play in achieving a peaceful solution to the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, in keeping with its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Consequently, it must continue to support regional interventions geared towards ending the conflict. The A3+ is therefore pleased that the resolution was just adopted unanimously. We believe that the resolution now provides a firm platform for cooperation between the Southern African Development Community Mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the forces of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which will ultimately contribute to building capacity, increasing security and reducing protection risks for civilians. Ultimately, we hope that the security forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo will continue to be strengthened and be able to fully assume all security responsibilities for the eastern provinces in the near term. The A3+ remains committed to working with all Council members as we seek a swift end to the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and support the country’s Government in creating conditions conducive for peace to be sustainably established.

The United Kingdom recognizes the important role that regional initiatives can play in delivering peace and security in Africa. We voted in favour of today’s resolution 2746 (2024) to support peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We thank France and Sierra Leone, as co-penholders, for their efforts to ensure that the support of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) to the Southern African Development Community Mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SAMIDRC) alleviates, rather than exacerbates, the conflict and its humanitarian consequences. The United Kingdom strongly supports cooperation and deconfliction between MONUSCO and the SAMIDRC. It is also imperative that the support provided by MONUSCO not impede the Mission’s ability to deliver its own mandate within its existing resources. In addition, we note the importance of a comprehensive due diligence framework and the necessity, as set out in the resolution, that SAMIDRC operations should be conducted in full compliance with international law. The United Kingdom remains committed to the safety and security of MONUSCO personnel and the impartiality of the Mission. Support to the SAMIDRC may draw MONUSCO into an escalating regional conflict. We will therefore closely monitor the impact of MONUSCO’s support over the coming months. Sustained peace in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is possible only through a political process. We welcome the 30 July ceasefire agreement between Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda and thank Angola for its continued mediation efforts. We call for all parties to honour their commitments to bring the region closer to a sustainable, peaceful dialogue. The United Kingdom stands ready to support that process and a durable peace in the region.

The Russian Federation supported resolution 2746 (2024), on providing assistance to the forces of the Southern African Development Community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which was prepared by the Sierra Leonean and French co-penholders. This important decision was taken as a follow-up to the recommendations of the Secretary-General after substantive consultations with the troop-contributing countries of the Southern African Development Community. We are convinced that it will contribute to the region-wide efforts to stabilize the situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo aimed at a diplomatic settlement of the crisis. That is particularly relevant in the light of the recent ceasefire agreement brokered by President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço in Luanda. We welcome the work of our Angolan colleagues and hope for the engagement of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on their commitments. At the same time, we would like to emphasize, not at the negotiating table but in this Chamber, that a number of elements of the resolution, in our opinion, could have been better worked out. We believe that African States have proven, and continue to prove in practice, the coherence and effectiveness of their command and control systems, as well as their commitment to international standards in the field of human rights and international humanitarian law. In that regard, we do not support attempts to permeate Security Council documents with excessive and often intrusive language on the rules and standards that African organizations should follow in the conduct of operations. We are also of the opinion that it would be important to reflect the issues related to a landmark event for the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, that is, the withdrawal from South Kivu, not in a specialized document to support regional efforts, but in a separate Security Council product or in another mandate resolution. Finally, we would like to emphasize the importance of following the agreed parameters for the practical implementation of the term “intelligence in peacekeeping”. That concept, which was retained in the text of the resolution, is still being subjected to attempts to interpret it broadly and to take it out of the principles of United Nations peacekeeping.

Resolution 2746 (2024), just adopted by the Council, authorizes the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) to provide support to the Southern African Development Community Mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SAMIDRC) and encourages the Mission to continue to work with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in planning for the next phase of the transition. China voted in favour of the resolution. Since the beginning of the year, the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has seen an escalation of conflict and violence, with armed groups continuing to inflict violence, resulting in millions of people being displaced. The United Nations, countries in the region and regional organizations have worked actively to stabilize the situation in the region. In particular, thanks to Angola’s mediation efforts, a ceasefire agreement was reached last week between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. China welcomes that major progress and expects that all parties will take the opportunity to de-escalate the situation as soon as possible, while maximizing the protection of civilians. China firmly supports enhancing Africa’s capacity in peace support, stabilization and counter- terrorism operations and supports the United Nations in providing financial support to African Union peace support operations. The Southern African Development Community is carrying out such operations in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as we speak. China hopes that the SAMIDRC, with the support of MONUSCO, will play an active role in maintaining peace and stability in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. At the same time, it should be pointed out that the only way out of the current situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is a political path. China supports the efforts of countries of the region aimed at resolving African problems through an African approach and looks forward to even more progress in the Luanda and Nairobi processes. With the recent withdrawal of MONUSCO from South Kivu, the United Nations system should now turn its attention to helping the Democratic Republic of the Congo with building regional peace and consolidating the results of the transition, while continuing to work with the Government to plan the next phase of the transition. At the same time, it is important for MONUSCO to continue to support the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in strengthening security capacity-building and enhance its coordination on the complementarity with the SAMIDRC so as to form synergy in carrying out stability efforts.

While the United States voted in favour of resolution 2746 (2024), we remain concerned that the provision of air assets and armoured vehicles to facilitate the movement of the troops of the Southern African Development Community Mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo could inflame regional tensions and a fragile moment in the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. We must ensure it does not. As the Council has stressed many times, there is no military solution to this conflict. Rather than expanding military operations in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, parties should instead focus on ending the violence, re-engaging through the Luanda process and promoting accountability for human rights abuses by all actors. We welcome the announcement by Angolan President Gonçalves Lorenzo of an agreed ceasefire in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and express our full support to Angola’s efforts through the ad hoc verification mechanism to oversee compliance by both sides. We encourage the support of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) to that mechanism in furtherance of its mandate to provide advice and assistance to the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the implementation of the Luanda agreement. And we urge Angola to enhance its coordination with the United Nations in order to maximize its implementation. Despite that positive development, we were very disturbed by reports immediately following the ceasefire announcement of continued actions by the Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23) to expand its control of Congolese territory, in blatant disregard of the humanitarian truce. Rwanda must immediately cease its support for the M23 and withdraw its troops from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. In addition, the Democratic Republic of the Congo must take action against both the leadership of the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) and Congolese officials who collaborate with the FDLR. Furthermore, we are alarmed by reports of GPS signal interference, which can be traced back to Rwandan positions and which significantly impacted United Nations and humanitarian air operations in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Those and other threatening and violent actions by the Rwanda Defence Force and the M23 against United Nations peacekeepers, equipment or positions are entirely unacceptable. As a leading contributor of troops to United Nations peacekeeping, Rwanda should know better than to put MONUSCO personnel at risk. Should that irresponsible behaviour continue, the Council should consider effective response measures.