DELIVERED BY H.E. MR. ABUKAR DAHIR OSMAN, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF SOMALIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS ON THE BRIEFING ON DRC
Mr. President,
I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the A3 Algeria, Sierra Leone and my own country Somalia.
We would like to thank SRSG Madam Bintou Keita and SESG Mr. Huang Xia for their insightful briefings on the current situation in eastern DRC. We salute the dedication and service of MONUSCO, particularly of the peacekeepers and all other operational personnel who continue to tirelessly support the Congolese people.
We also acknowledge the crucial contribution of SAMIDRC personnel, and welcome the participation of Her Excellency Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, State Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophone of the Democratic Republic of Congo. We also welcome the representatives of Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya and South Africa in this meeting.
The A3 welcomes the convening of today’s meeting, which affords the Security Councill the opportunity to take stock of the recent developments in DRC since we last met to discuss the situation.
At the outset, in light the unfolding situation in the last few weeks, the A3 wishes to express its solidarity with the communities of Eastern DRC, from Masisi to Sake, Goma to Bukavu. These communities are living in constant fear as the M23 advances, with no clear sense of what the future holds. Their resilience in the face of such uncertainty is commendable, yet their fate remains unclear; the threat of complete chaos that could degenerate into catastrophic violence is still very real and people are not sure whether they would be able to return to their fields and grow their crops or whether they will need to flee once again in case of further violence. The A3 calls for calm and urges all parties to ensure that no further escalation of violence takes place in the eastern DRC.
Mr. President,
In light of the developments on the ground right now, A3 wishes to make three points.
First, in addition to the continuing violence still persisting in areas controlled by the M23, the A3 is also concerned by the continued escalation of violence in other localities, including Lubumbashi, Kisangani and Uvira, coupled with the absence of MONUSCO and the mission’s inability to operate in these areas. We therefore strongly reiterate our call for the M23 to cease hostilities and stop its advance and capture of more territory. We also call on the M23 to lift its severe restrictions on MONUSCO’s freedom of movement, preventing efforts to assess the damage at Goma airport and to assist with the safe disposal of unexploded ordnance across the city.
The violence must come to an end. The M23’s continued territorial expansion threatens the sovereignty of the DRC and undermines the possibility of dialogue. We cannot afford to stand and allow further losses, including the potential fall of Kisangani. This is why we firmly denounce any form of support extended to the M23 or other armed groups operating in the DRC. It is time for this Council to genuinely support and facilitate the cessation of hostilities, including the withdrawal of the M23 from territories under their control. since the turn of the year.
Second, the A3 is deeply concerned that in the face of this violence, the humanitarian situation has significantly worsened. According to figures from OCHA, more than 21 million people require humanitarian assistance across DRC. The escalation of violence has worsened this crisis, particularly with the disruption of supply routes. We therefore call for the development of a securitization plan for Goma and surrounding areas, reopening of the Goma airport, the re-operationalization of the Kavumu airport, and the restoration of key supply routes to ensure the timely delivery of humanitarian aid, as highlighted in the joint communique issued by the Heads of State and Government of the EAC-SADC and endorsed by the AUPSC communique. We therefore call for the restoration of essential utilities and supply lines for food and other essential commodities to ensure humanitarian support to these in need and urge the parties to commit to upholding human right law and international humanitarian law.
Third, Mr. President, as this Council is aware, among the key roles of the A3 is the responsibility to bridge the gap between the deliberations of this Council and African common positions on issues of relevance to the continent. As such, I would like to take a moment to highlight the efforts of the African leadership in the broader search for a solution to the crisis in Eastern DRC, which has remained consistently high on the agenda of the African Union, the East African Community, the Economic Community of Central African States and the Southern African Development Community.
Over the last three years in particular, since the reemergence of the M23, African leadership has responded urgently to the crisis, first by appointing H.E. Joao Lourenco, President of Angola as the designated mediator between DRC and Rwanda and current Chairperson of the African Union, as well as putting together the initial framework of the negotiation between the Congolese Government and the Armed groups under the Nairobi process led by former president of Kenya H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta.
The involvement of the SADC in 2023 also signaled that an effective solution to the crisis in Congo would only be enabled by active participation of broader regional actors, effectively showing that, African conflicts need and deserve Africa-led and owned solutions. In this context, the A3 would like to reiterate to all parties the importance of the commitment made within the framework of the Luanda process, and in this regard, reiterate our call for the “implementation of the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) of the harmonized plan for the lifting of Rwanda’s defensive measures/disengagement of forces from the DRC and the neutralization of the FDLR as agreed in the Luanda Process”.
Furthermore, the A3 would like to underscore the outcomes of the recent meetings convened by African sub-regional and continental bodies at the Heads of State Level, including the proposed merging of the Nairobi and Luanda processes. It is our hope that the harmonization of these efforts will get the region closer to a peaceful solution.
There is no gainsaying that this Council as well as the international community at large should strongly support these African initiatives. It is time for the Council to lend real support to these African-led initiatives, act constructively to strengthen them and to go beyond simply paying lip service.
Mr. President,
Looking ahead, it is clear as it has been reiterated many times in this Council, that there is no military solution to this conflict, which makes it all more urgent to secure an unconditional and immediate ceasefire in Eastern DRC. In this regard, we call for all parties to agree to a ceasefire and to commit to putting down their weapons and creating the necessary space for a negotiated political solution. The A3 echoes the call of the EAC-SADC meeting for monitoring such ceasefire by the EAC-SADC Chiefs of Defense forces.
Along similar lines, we also look forward to the resumption of peace talks as called for by the EAC-SADC and endorsed by the AUPSC HoS/G meetings. In this regard, we look forward to the implementation of the follow up actions to be taken up by the Joint meeting of EAC and SADC Ministers to address all residual issues relating to the attainment of sustainable peace and security in the eastern DRC.
In conclusion Mr. President, we have heard countless times both within and outside of this Council, the calls for lasting peace. The people of DRC need and deserve to live in their country peacefully. The territory of DRC should not be violated, and its sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected.
Now is the time to move beyond the rhetoric and to act decisively in our deliberations to find a solution that both addresses the current crisis while ultimately addressing the root causes of this conflict.
The A3 stands in solidarity with the children, women and men of DRC and underscores the full respect of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unity of the DRC.
I thank you.
