UN / DRC

Violence and access constraints in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continue to hamper humanitarian operations in a context where one in three people need assistance, the senior UN official in the country told the Security Council. UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:58
• Production Date: 5 October 2021
• Asset Language: English; French
• Personal Subject: BINTOU KEITA
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION STABILIZATION MISSION IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO - MONUSCO
• Subject Topical: PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS
• Geographic Subject: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
• MAMS Id: 2664019
• Parent Id: 2664019
• Alternate Title: unifeed211005e

Description

STORY: UN / DRC
TRT: 02:58
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 05 OCTOBER 2021, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters

05 OCTOBER 2021, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Med shot, Council President
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO):
“As we approach the renewal of MONUSCO’s mandate, I believe that the joint transition plan constitutes a roadmap that can help guide the work of the Mission in the coming years and prepare the ground for its orderly and responsible withdrawal. This must not obscure the fact that there is still much to do to silence the guns in the eastern provinces, foster the political dialogue necessary to pave the way for credible and transparent elections in 2023 and support the long-term strengthening of the country’s institutions.”
5. Med shot, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO):
“I reiterate the need for an inclusive and peaceful electoral process founded on dialogue, trust, and transparency. To this end, MONUSCO continues to pursue its good offices with actors across the political spectrum, including to advocate for increased women’s participation in this process.”
7. Med shot, delegates
8. SOUNDBITE (French) Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO):
“Since the government declared a state of siege in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces, the mission has stepped up its efforts to support the armed forces, the police forces and the judicial authorities in order to restore the presence and authority of the state in each of these territories.”
9. Med shot, delegates
10. SOUNDBITE (French) Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO):
“I would like to underscore MONUSCO and the UN country team's unwavering commitment to a zero-tolerance policy for sexual exploitation and abuse and to provide comprehensive assistance to victims. Following recent allegations regarding the Ebola response, the DRC humanitarian team has strengthened its prevention systems and systems to combat sexual exploitation and abuse. To do so, 1.5 million dollars have been made available through the common humanitarian fund."
11. Med shot, delegates
12. SOUNDBITE (French) Paul Losoko Efambe Empole, Minister Counsellor, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC):
“In order to fight harder at the national level and to eradicate once and for all these negative forces and put an end to the vicious cycle of violence, the Head of State took the decision to declare a state of siege in line with article 85 of the constitution of my country in two provinces in the east, where security and terrorist threat level is very high. Thanks to this decision significant progress is being made in terms of combatting hard-line armed groups and to bring peace to the east of the DRC.”
13. Wide shot, Council

Storyline

Violence and access constraints in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continue to hamper humanitarian operations in a context where one in three people need assistance, the senior UN official in the country told the Security Council today (5 Oct).

In her address to the Council, Bintou Keita, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) highlighted two main challenges, the security and protection of civilians in the east, and the process of democratic consolidation in DRC.

Keita said, “as we approach the renewal of MONUSCO’s mandate, I believe that the joint transition plan constitutes a roadmap that can help guide the work of the Mission in the coming years and prepare the ground for its orderly and responsible withdrawal. This must not obscure the fact that there is still much to do to silence the guns in the eastern provinces, foster the political dialogue necessary to pave the way for credible and transparent elections in 2023 and support the long-term strengthening of the country’s institutions”

She reiterated the need for an inclusive and peaceful electoral process founded on “dialogue, trust, and transparency” and said to this end, “MONUSCO continues to pursue its good offices with actors across the political spectrum, including to advocate for increased women’s participation in this process.”

The UN official said, “since the government declared a state of siege in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces, the mission has stepped up its efforts to support the armed forces, the police forces and the judicial authorities in order to restore the presence and authority of the state in each of these territories.”

Addressing recent allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse during the Ebola response, Keita said, “I would like to underscore MONUSCO and the UN country team's unwavering commitment to a zero-tolerance policy for sexual exploitation and abuse and to provide comprehensive assistance to victims.”

She said, “the DRC humanitarian team has strengthened its prevention systems and systems to combat sexual exploitation and abuse. To do so, 1.5 million dollars have been made available through the common humanitarian fund."

The DRC’s representative, Paul Losoko Efambe Empole, told the Council that “in order to fight harder at the national level and to eradicate once and for all these negative forces and put an end to the vicious cycle of violence, the Head of State took the decision to declare a state of siege in line with article 85 of the constitution of my country in two provinces in the east, where security and terrorist threat level is very high.”

Thanks to this decision, he said, “significant progress is being made in terms of combatting hard-line armed groups and to bring peace to the east of the DRC.”

Attacks on schools and hospitals have exacerbated humanitarian challenges in several parts of the east, particularly Ituri. With over 5 million internally displaced people, the country has the highest number of internally displaced people on the African continent. More than 26 million Congolese also suffer from food insecurity, about 29 percent of the population.