Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva at a UNSC briefing on the situation in the Great Lakes region
We thank Special Envoy Huang Xia for his briefing. We have listened attentively to the statement by Ms. Sarah Kyabu Ntambwe. We welcome the participation of Ms. Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Francophonie of the DRC, and the representatives of Rwanda and Angola in this meeting.
We have been closely following the developments in the Great Lakes region. We are paying particular attention to the grave situation in the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
We welcome the results of the second meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the DRC and Rwanda, achieved with a proactive role of the President of Angola, Mr. João Lourenço. The announcement of an indefinite ceasefire starting at midnight of August 4th was a meaningful step forward. We hope that direct and open dialogue between the parties, with Angolan mediation, will make it possible to reach a lasting and viable political solution to the crisis.
A long-term agreement is a genuine opportunity to prevent the further exacerbation of the standoff between regional states and the degradation of the subregional cooperation architecture. This is an opportunity we simply cannot squander.
On the contrary, it is critical to maintain the positive momentum and reaffirm the commitment to uphold mutual obligations on the diplomatic track. Such efforts should incorporate tangible steps to end any interaction of the state with illegal armed groups.
Otherwise, the subregion is liable to relapse into another armed conflict involving M23 and other armed groups. As we know, this will trigger yet another wave of humanitarian hardships, as well as an increase in the unchecked exploitation of Congo’s natural resources. There is no doubt that such a scenario is contrary to the core interests of the countries of the region.
We also must offer support to other pan-regional efforts to put the situation back on track to peace, specifically the Nairobi process, which is carried out under the auspices of the East African Community. This independent track opens up an opportunity to find “solutions” to the issues without addressing which it would be extremely difficult to achieve comprehensive stabilization in the east of the DRC.
We also support the efforts of MONUSCO and its leadership to ensure peace and protection of civilians. The presence of the Blue Helmets in the conflict zone remains an important deterrent.
An important contribution to stabilizing the situation is being made by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as well. The SADC contingent, with United Nations support on the ground, should facilitate a balanced and constructive search for political compromises rather than military solutions.
At the same time, we hope that the states of the subregion will remain committed to the comprehensive implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the east of the DRC and the Great Lakes Region. We welcome their determination to revitalize that fundamental document. We support the activities of Special Envoy Huang Xia to facilitate this comprehensive work. We note his efforts to reduce tensions in the subregion.
Russia, in its turn, will continue to support constructive dialog between the countries of the Great Lakes region so as to come up to thought-through and long-term solutions to regional problems.
Thank you.
