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8198th Security Council Meeting: Situation in Democratic Republic of Congo
Discussing the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo today, Security Council members underscored the importance of the holding of fair and credible elections, as the electoral process in that country continued amid continued increasing violence and unrest.
Presenting the latest report of the Secretary‑General on the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Leila Zerrougui, Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), outlined the ways in which the country was continuing with its political preparations. She expressed her concern over the disproportionate use of force by security services during recent demonstrations. The Government should investigate and take appropriate measures, she said. There was also a need to restore confidence in the political process, including through the release of political prisoners.
However, she noted, there had also been some positive steps, including significant progress regarding the presidential and legislative elections registration process, as more than 46 million people had signed up to vote.
With regard to the MONUSCO mandate, she recommended that the Council renew it, as well as to keep its focus on how the political and electoral processes could best be supported in line with the 31 December Agreement, the electoral calendar and the Congolese Constitution. She also urged the Council to consider how the security situation could be stabilized.
Léonard She Okitundu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, underscored that incendiary statements and unfair sanctions that violated the principles of international law did not help improve the pre-election climate. Indeed, the concept of political de-escalation should not be a demand placed only on the Government but rather all stakeholders involved in the political process. He also outlined the activities of the Armed Forces of his country, noting that those Forces were working to eradicate negative forces in North Kivu and South Kivu, as well as to reinforce State authority in Kasai. Operations were also continuing against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which had been greatly weakened, he said.
On the renewal of the Mission’s mandate, he noted that in March, his Government had requested that any renewal consider the Congolese people’s desire for the eradication of armed groups in the east of the country. With that in mind, United Nations forces should be strengthened, particularly that of the Force Intervention Brigade. Other MONUSCO units that were not essential to respond to the problem of armed groups should be drawn down, he emphasized, noting that his Government regretted that it was not consulted on the withdrawal of Tanzanian artillery and South African aircraft.
The representative of France noted while the Democratic Republic of the Congo had reached a turning point, the challenges that remained were immense. Those included a deteriorating humanitarian situation and an increase in violence. The instability was a result of delays and uncertainty in the electoral process, he said, underscoring that the holding of timely elections was vital if stability was to return. Not only that, but if the results were to be universally accepted, then they had to be held in a peaceful climate where candidates could campaign without fear of retribution.
Sounding a positive note, Ethiopia’s delegate welcomed the progress that had been made regarding the preparation for the elections. The voter registration process had been completed across all 26 of the country’s provinces. In addition, the release of opposition leader Moise Katumbi’s former Chief of Staff was a step in the right direction.
In a similar vein, the representative of Côte d’Ivoire highlighted the progress made in the electoral process, while stressing the need for the country’s political class to provide the conditions needed to hold a peaceful election. His country supported the Secretary-General’s request for the renewal of MONUSCO’s mandate, he said, highlighting the Mission’s vital role in the provision of technical and logistical support.
Many delegates underlined the important of MONUSCO’s work, including the representative of Kuwait, who said that he supported the renewal of its mandate for another year, as it gave important support to the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as it prepared for the country’s future. It was also the biggest Mission in the United Nations system, he said, and he condemned the attacks carried out against its troops.
The representative of the United States noted that MONUSCO was the most expensive and complex Mission in the history of the United Nations. It should do everything possible to ensure that elections would be held in the country as the Government had promised. Free elections were the next step in the development of the country, she said, noting that Democratic Republic of the Congo President Joseph Kabila had already stayed in office longer than he should have.
Bolivia’s delegate, in addition to highlighting the work done by MONUSCO, also took the opportunity to highlight the important work done by various regional organizations in support of the upcoming elections, noting the efforts of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union Peace and Security Council in particular. In addition, cooperation with the Mission and the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region was vital, he said.
Also speaking today were representatives of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Peru, Equatorial Guinea, Poland, Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, China and the Netherlands.
The meeting began at 3:06 p.m. and ended at 5 p.m.
