Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva at a UNSC Briefing on the DRC
We thank Ms. Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, for her briefing and the Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone for his statement as the Chair of the Security Council Sanctions committee established pursuant to resolution 1533. We have listened attentively to the statement by Ms. Therese Nzale-Kove. We welcome the participation of the representatives of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Angola in this meeting.
The security and humanitarian situation in eastern DRC remains dire. The DRC continues to face one of the worst crises in terms of the number of internally displaced persons and refugees. The crisis has affected more than 6.5 million people. The situation is further exacerbated by attacks on IDP camps and civilian infrastructure objects, as well as by epidemics of infectious diseases.
However, we are cautiously optimistic about the regional efforts to support the peaceful settlement of the crisis in that part of Africa. In this regard, 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 from midnight on August 4th was a meaningful step forward.
It is now critical to maintain the positive momentum and reaffirm the commitment to uphold mutual obligations on the diplomatic track. It is also vital to take tangible steps to end any interaction of the state with illegal armed groups.
Otherwise, the region is liable to relapse into armed conflict involving M23. The M 23 group preserves control of a host of regions in North Kivu that are both strategically important and resource-rich. There is evidence that the M23 continues to infiltrate into South Kivu. All of this attest to the fact that the situation is tenuous and that there is a need to redouble efforts to resolve the crisis in the east of the DRC.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) does its part to stabilize the situation. The military contingents from Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa, operating under the aegis of SADC, support the DRC Armed Forces in countering the threat posed by illegal armed groups. An important achievement in this regard is the adoption of UN SC resolution 2746 on providing assistance to SADC forces. We firmly believe that this step will facilitate region-wide attempts to bring the situation back to a peaceful track.
We commend the completion of MONUSCO's withdrawal from South Kivu. This is an extremely important milestone for the Mission and for years-long peacekeeping efforts in the DRC. The experience gained through the implementation of this phase should stand us in good stead for moving forward with subsequent phases.
When deciding on the further steps in MONUSCO's withdrawal from the country, it is important to take into account the developments on the ground and to act in a flexible, consistent and responsible manner. We should not allow a security vacuum to develop. At the same time, it is necessary to remain committed to the implementation of the fundamental decisions adopted by the UN Security Council.
Problems in eastern DRC are deeply rooted, they require balanced and long-term solutions that would account for the core interests of all parties concerned. We remain firmly convinced that any contradictions both in the DRC and in the Great Lakes region as a whole should be resolved exclusively through political and diplomatic means. Russia, as a UNSC permanent member, will continue to facilitate such efforts.
Thank you.
