Statement by First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy at UNSC briefing on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Mme.President,
We thank SRSG Keita for the briefing and the Permanent Representative of Gabon for his statement as Chair of 1533 Sanctions Committee. We closely followed the remarks by Ms. Anna Modi. We also welcome Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as the Permanent Representative of Rwanda to this meeting.
We regret to note that, despite the measures taken and the holding truce between the Congolese Government forces and M23, the situation in eastern DR Congo remains extremely difficult. We condemn the criminal activities of the Islamist group ‘Allied Democratic Forces’ and other illegal armed groups operating on the territory of the DR Congo, including the CODECO, Red Tabara, Mai-Mai, and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda. We call on them to renounce violent methods, lay down arms and join the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration program without preconditions.
We are extremely concerned about the continuing degradation of the humanitarian situation, the growing number of internally displaced persons and refugees, human rights violations and the daily suffering of the civilian population. We note the significant role of international organizations of the UN system in alleviating the humanitarian consequences of the crisis.
We believe it is crucial to secure concrete results of the regionals in the Nairobi and Luanda processes. We note the important contribution of the Regional Forces of the East African Community. We welcome the readiness of the Southern African Development Community to engage in a settlement in eastern DR Congo. We believe it is necessary to continue combining complementary efforts and initiatives for regional assistance. The priority task is to achieve a sustainable and long-term cessation of hostilities and create conditions for a comprehensive, inclusive dialogue.
In this connection, it is also important to continue working towards the full implementation of the fundamental 2013 Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework in Eastern DR Congo and the Great lakes Region. We welcome the commitment of the African Union and the countries of the region to the revitalization of this document. We support the activities of SESG for the Great Lakes Region, Huang Xia, to establish inter-state dialog to reduce tensions in this part of Africa.
Clearly, long-term normalization in eastern DR Congo and the GLR cannot be achieved by military measures alone. Only political solutions will lead to a comprehensive cessation of hostilities and the creation of real conditions for sustainable stabilization. We call for substantive measures to overcome the tension between Kinshasa and Kigali.
We support the efforts of MONUSCO and its leadership. We are convinced that the Mission's presence in the conflict zone remains an important stabilizing factor. We look forward to increased coordination between the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and MONUSCO, as well as other regional and national security forces on the ground, in order to work more effectively to protect the civilian population. Protests against the presence of the Blue Helmets raise our concern. We condemn all forms of violence. At the same time, we call for respect for the right of Congolese citizens to peaceful protest.
Against the backdrop of shared efforts with Kinshasa aimed at revising the plan for the withdrawal of the Blue Helmets, we have carefully considered the proposals of the Secretary-General on reconfiguring MONUSCO. We have also carefully studied the letter addressed to the members of the Security Council signed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Christophe Lutundula, which sets out the concerns and demands of the Congolese side. We believe it necessary to take on board the opinion of Kinshasa when the Security Council holds negotiations on the mandate of MONUSCO in December this year. In that regard, we believe that it is essential, first and foremost, to be guided by rational considerations, to account for the evolution of the situation on the ground and act in a gradual and responsible manner.
We look forward to the authorities of the DR Congo and the United Nations sharing full information on the progress of the investigation into the tragedy that took place in March 2022 in the east of the country and involved the downing of a MONUSCO helicopter. We all remember that eight peacekeepers dies in the crash, including our compatriot Alexei Mizyura, a senior member of the Russian military observer team. We assume that those responsible will be identified and brought to justice.
In conclusion, I would like to welcome the continued work of the Government of the DR Congo in preparing for the general elections in December this year and wish every success in organizing the vote.
For our part, we reaffirm our readiness as a permanent member of the Security Council to help resolve the crisis in eastern DR Congo by encouraging constructive dialogue among the states of the region. We are committed to close co-operation with the relevant institutions of the UN system and its representatives.
Thank you.
