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STORY: UN / DRC MONUSCO
TRT: 7:18
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTION: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH / ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 12 DECEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1.Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters
12 DECEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (French) Jean-Pierre Lacoix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations:
“The recent developments in South Kivu undeniably illustrate the gap that exists between diplomatic efforts and the reality experienced by civilian populations affected by the ongoing hostilities. In this context, the immediate implementation of resolution 2773 (2025), which calls, among other things, for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and the respect by the parties for the commitments made within the framework of the Washington and Doha processes, remains essential if diplomatic progress is to finally translate into a tangible improvement in the situation on the ground.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean-Pierre Lacoix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations:
“At this critical juncture it is essential that the Security Council do its utmost to create the conditions necessary for MONUSCO to play its role in protecting civilians, while meeting the growing expectations related to its role in supporting ongoing peace efforts. It is also vital that Member States ensure that the Mission is provided with the necessary resources to deliver on its core, mandated responsibilities.”
7. Wide shot, Security Council
8. SOUNDBITE (French) Jean-Pierre Lacoix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations:
“At this critical juncture, the role of the Security Council is more crucial than ever. A clear, united, and resolute response from the Council is essential to prevent an escalation of the conflict, avert the risk of fragmentation of the DRC, and contain the growing regionalization of violence. The Council has the necessary political and normative tools to enforce its resolutions, support ongoing mediation efforts, and send an unequivocal message to all parties regarding the imperative of respecting the ceasefire, international humanitarian law, and the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
9. Wide shot, Security Council
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Mohamed Javid Abdelmoneim, International President of Médecins Sans Frontières:
SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Mohamed Javid Abdelmoneim, International President of Médecins Sans Frontières:
Sexual violence in eastern DRC is a longstanding emergency which has scarred communities for decades. Today it continues at an unimaginable scale. In the first six months of this year alone, nearly 28,000 survivors sought care in MSF-supported facilities in eastern DRC. That’s an average of 155 survivors each and every day in six months.”
11. Wide shot, Security Council
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Mohamed Javid Abdelmoneim, International President of Médecins Sans Frontières:
“The scale and normalisation of sexual violence reflect a profound collapse of community protection and a near-total absence of accountability. Women and girls tell us that sexual violence is not simply feared – it is expected.”
13. Med shot, Security Council
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Mohamed Javid Abdelmoneim, International President of Médecins Sans Frontières:
“For people living through this conflict, the question is not whether the Council understands their reality – it is why that understanding so rarely translates into meaningful protection. That disconnect is damning. That failure is profound. If this Council cannot act when so many lives are at stake, then the promise of civilian protection becomes a hollow doctrine – recited here, but absent where it is most needed. What is required today is neither new rhetoric nor new diplomatic architecture. It is the will to insist that civilians are not expendable, and that their rights – to safety and to dignity – are non-negotiable.”
15. Various shots, Security Council
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Waltz, United States Representative to the United Nations:
“In light of the commitments made in the Washington Accords, we are deeply concerned that the Rwandan military's continued presence in Congolese territory in support of M23, and we will use the tools at our disposal to hold to account spoilers to peace. We called on Rwanda to uphold its commitments and to further recognize the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo's right to defend its territory and its sovereign right to invite Burundian forces onto its territory.”
17. Wide shot, Security Council
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Therèse Kayikwamba Wagner, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophonie and Congolese Diaspora:
“We have reached a moment of truth either the international order accepts being openly defied, namely by Rwanda, or this Council assumes its responsibility. Impunity has gone on for far too long. The Congolese people cannot continue to bear the cost of commitments that are violated, and resolutions that are not implemented. The facts are clear. The ceasefire demanded by resolution 2773 has not been respected.”
19. Med shot, Rwandan Ambassador sitting at the Council
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Therèse Kayikwamba Wagner, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophonie and Congolese Diaspora:
“The credibility of all processes Washington, Doha and the African facilitation depends on one principle – accountability. Without consequences, agreements have no force; without consequences, the cycle of violence will continue. Resolution 2773 is not lacking in clarity. What is lacking is its enforcement - a resolution that is not enforced does not deter violence, it invites it. When violations carry no cost, impunity becomes policy. The responsibility now before this Council is not to restate its decisions, but to enforce them.
21. Med shot, Security Council
22. SOUNDBITE (English)Martin K. Ngoga, Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations
The Washington Peace Agreement and the Doha Process are complementary, mutually reinforcing frameworks. When the mission supports them consistently and impartially, it can help to create the necessary space for implementation. Rwanda reiterated its full commitment to implement its part of the agreement. We equally believe that the success of the agreement will depend on the political will of both parties.”
23. Wide shot, Security Council
24. SOUNDBITE (English)Martin K. Ngoga, Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations:
“We thank you most profoundly the efforts that are going on by the mediators, particularly the United States, to address the most recent situation, and we are a willing participant to finding a viable solution forward, because we believe if we all committed to implementing in good faith, the commitments made in Washington and therefore support fully in the process in Doha, then we possibly have a possibility to have a peaceful solution to the conflict that we have lived with for many, many years.”
25. Wide shot, Security Council
26. SOUNDBITE (French) Zéphyrin Maniratanga, Permanent Representative of Burundi to the United Nations:
“Burundi cannot tolerate repeated violations of its territorial integrity and reserves the right to exercise self-defense in accordance with the provisions of article 51 of the United Nations Charter.”
27. Wide shot, Security Council
28. Wide shot, Mohamed Javid Abdelmoneim arriving at the press encounter
29. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohamed Javid Abdelmoneim, International President of Médecins Sans Frontières:
“Our message is that civilians must be protected. Access for lifesaving aid must be guaranteed, and humanitarian response must be increased, commensurate with the level of the needs of the population.”
30. Wide shot, Mohamed Javid Abdelmoneim leaving the press encounter
The head of UN peacekeeping operations Jean-Pierre Lacoix said, “The recent developments in South Kivu undeniably illustrate the gap that exists between diplomatic efforts and the reality experienced by civilian populations affected by the ongoing hostilities,” calling for the immediate implementation of resolution 2773 (2025).
Lacroix briefed the Council today (12 Dec) on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the work of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
As indicated in the Secretary-General's latest report, the UN peacekeeping chief highlighted that DRC continues to face a security and humanitarian crisis, with civilian populations in the affected areas being the primary victims. In recent days, the new offensive launched by the AFC/M23 in South Kivu has revived the specter of a regional conflagration with incalculable consequences.
He called for “an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and the respect by the parties for the commitments made within the framework of the Washington and Doha processes,” adding that it “remains essential if diplomatic progress is to finally translate into a tangible improvement in the situation on the ground.”
The Under-Secretary-General reiterated, “At this critical juncture it is essential that the Security Council do its utmost to create the conditions necessary for MONUSCO to play its role in protecting civilians, while meeting the growing expectations related to its role in supporting ongoing peace efforts.”
“It is also vital that Member States ensure that the Mission is provided with the necessary resources to deliver on its core, mandated responsibilities,” he added.
Lacoix also highlighted the role of the Security Council is “more crucial than ever.”
He said, “A clear, united, and resolute response from the Council is essential to prevent an escalation of the conflict, avert the risk of fragmentation of the DRC, and contain the growing regionalization of violence.”
“The Council has the necessary political and normative tools to enforce its resolutions, support ongoing mediation efforts, and send an unequivocal message to all parties regarding the imperative of respecting the ceasefire, international humanitarian law, and the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” the Under-Secretary-General concluded.
Médecins Sans Frontières’ Dr. Mohamed Javid Abdelmoneim also briefed the Council.
He stressed, “Sexual violence in eastern DRC is a longstanding emergency which has scarred communities for decades. Today it continues at an unimaginable scale.”
Abdelmoneim continued, “In the first six months of this year alone, nearly 28,000 survivors sought care in MSF-supported facilities in eastern DRC.”
“That’s an average of 155 survivors each and every day in six months,” he said.
The International President of Médecins Sans Frontières also warned, “The scale and normalisation of sexual violence reflect a profound collapse of community protection and a near-total absence of accountability.”
He said, “Women and girls tell us that sexual violence is not simply feared – it is expected.”
Abdelmoneim said, “For people living through this conflict, the question is not whether the Council understands their reality – it is why that understanding so rarely translates into meaningful protection.”
“That disconnect is damning. That failure is profound,” he added.
The International President continued, “If this Council cannot act when so many lives are at stake, then the promise of civilian protection becomes a hollow doctrine – recited here, but absent where it is most needed.”
“What is required today is neither new rhetoric nor new diplomatic architecture. It is the will to insist that civilians are not expendable, and that their rights – to safety and to dignity – are non-negotiable,” he concluded.
US representative to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Washington is “incredibly disappointed” with the recent development after the signing of the Washington Accords.
He said, “In light of the commitments made in the Washington Accords, we are deeply concerned that the Rwandan military's continued presence in Congolese territory in support of M23, and we will use the tools at our disposal to hold to account spoilers to peace.”
Ambassador Waltz called on Rwanda to “uphold its commitments and to further recognize the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo's right to defend its territory and its sovereign right to invite Burundian forces onto its territory.”
For her part, DRC’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Therèse Kayikwamba Wagner told the Council, “We have reached a moment of truth either the international order accepts being openly defied, namely by Rwanda, or this Council assumes its responsibility.”
She continued, “Impunity has gone on for far too long. The Congolese people cannot continue to bear the cost of commitments that are violated, and resolutions that are not implemented.:
“The facts are clear. The ceasefire demanded by resolution 2773 has not been respected,” the Minister for Foreign Affairs said.
She also said, “The credibility of all processes Washington, Doha and the African facilitation depends on one principle – accountability. Without consequences, agreements have no force; without consequences, the cycle of violence will continue.”
The Minister for Foreign Affairs continued, “Resolution 2773 is not lacking in clarity. What is lacking is its enforcement - a resolution that is not enforced does not deter violence, it invites it. When violations carry no cost, impunity becomes policy.”
“The responsibility now before this Council is not to restate its decisions, but to enforce them,” she concluded.
Rwandan Ambassador Martin K. Ngoga told the Council that the Washington Peace Agreement and the Doha Process are “complementary, mutually reinforcing frameworks.”
He said, “When the mission supports them consistently and impartially, it can help to create the necessary space for implementation.”
The Rwandan Ambassador reiterated his country’s “full commitment to implement its part of the agreement. We equally believe that the success of the agreement will depend on the political will of both parties.”
Ambassador Ngoga thanked the efforts by the mediators, “particularly the United States, to address the most recent situation, and we are a willing participant to finding a viable solution forward, because we believe if we all committed to implementing in good faith, the commitments made in Washington and therefore support fully in the process in Doha, then we possibly have a possibility to have a peaceful solution to the conflict that we have lived with for many, many years,” he said.
Burundian Ambassador Zéphyrin Maniratanga reiterated to the Council that his country “cannot tolerate repeated violations of its territorial integrity and reserves the right to exercise self-defense in accordance with the provisions of article 51 of the United Nations Charter.”
Earlier today at a press encounter, the International President of Médecins Sans Frontières, Mohamed Javid Abdelmoneim, said, “Our message is that civilians must be protected. Access for lifesaving aid must be guaranteed, and humanitarian response must be increased, commensurate with the level of the needs of the population.”
