July 8, 2024
Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), briefed the Security Council on the Secretary-General’s latest report on the country’s situation (S/2024/482) covering the period from 20 March to 19 June. Since her last briefing, the political dynamic has mostly revolved around establishing a new Government inaugurated in June following the December 2023 elections. She welcomed the appointment of the first female Prime Minister in the country’s history, Judith Suminwa Tuluka. In addition to her, women account for 33 per cent of the new Government, or 17 out of 54 ministers — an increase from 27 per cent. She said that she and Government leaders have already discussed its new action plan and the possibilities of MONUSCO’s support for its implementation.
Turning to the security situation in the country’s east, she expressed grave concern about the rapid expansion of the 23 March Movement (M23) in North Kivu and its spillover into South Kivu, despite numerous operations conducted by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), regularly supported by MONUSCO and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Over the last two weeks, the M23 captured several strategic locations in North Kivu, burning several FARDC bases and triggering additional population displacements. As documented by the Group of Experts, which reports to the Council’s sanctions committee, the Government of Rwanda has reinforced its support for the M23. “The rapidly escalating M23 crisis carries the very real risk of provoking a wider regional conflict,” she warned. MONUSCO has also trained 500 new FARDC recruits as part of a new joint FARDC-MONUSCO operation to defend Goma and Sake from the M23. For its part, the SADC regional force is expected to reach full operational capability by mid-July.
Citing 7.3 million displaced people, including 6.9 million in the eastern provinces alone, she described the situation as “one of the most severe, complex and neglected humanitarian crises of our times”. In 2023, a total of 122,960 cases of gender-based violence were reported, up 3 per cent from 2022. Based on current trends, 2024 risks becoming another record year. The 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan seeks $2.6 billion to assist 8.7 million crisis-affected people but was only 26 per cent funded as of mid-June, she lamented, calling for greater financial support. She also called on Member States and regional organizations to increase their efforts to reduce humanitarian suffering by strengthening their engagement towards political and regional solutions and by recommitting to tackle the root causes of conflict. In this regard, she welcomed the two-week humanitarian truce in the country’s east that began on 5 July.
As requested in resolution 2717 (2023), the Secretary-General has submitted to the Council a letter identifying the various possible options for support to the SADC regional force, endorsed in March by the African Peace and Security Council. “There will be no military solution to this conflict, and that peace can only be restored through lasting political solutions”, she said, noting that MONUSCO continued to support the Government’s disarmament, demobilization and reintegration efforts and security sector reform. On 25 June, MONUSCO ended more than 20 years of operations in South Kivu. In the context of disengagement and transition, the acceleration of those efforts will require a decisive will on the part of the authorities to convince the armed groups of the need for disarmament and a longer-term commitment from international partners, she asserted.