July 8, 2024
Thank you, President.
Thank you SRSG Keita for your briefing today and for your steady leadership of MONUSCO. We also welcome the Representatives of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda today.
The United States strongly [condemns], let me start over, the United States strongly commends all parties to the conflict in eastern DRC for committing to a two-week humanitarian truce that began July 5. We thank Angola for its partnership in reaching this truce and will cooperate with them to monitor and verify it. We also thank MONUSCO for its support to this overall effort. These regional diplomatic efforts are the way to achieve permanent solutions and a lasting peace for the long-suffering communities of eastern DRC.
The United States further commends MONUSCO for safely completing its drawdown from South Kivu, in line with its mandate and the joint disengagement plan agreed by the DRC government and the UN. We extend our gratitude to the UN personnel who have served in South Kivu and offered protection and support to its inhabitants over the last 20 years.
With phase one of the disengagement complete, we are troubled by the impact on civilian protection and humanitarian access. We are also concerned that DRC’s security forces have struggled to effectively deploy into—and maintain—the positions MONUSCO occupied. We urge the UN and the Government of the DRC to anticipate and address these challenges in future phases of MONUSCO’s disengagement to avoid consequences for civilians, such as the consequences we have seen in South Kivu. We are appalled by the surging number and lethality of attacks by the armed group CODECO in Ituri province.
In addition, the ISIS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces killed more civilians in June 2024 than in any previous month. These despicable acts of violence would undoubtedly have been more grave without MONUSCO’s interventions, further underlining the significant contributions MONUSCO continues to make to security and the protection of civilians in these provinces. Amid such instability and violence—and recognizing the critical role MONUSCO plays in defending population centers and facilitating humanitarian access—this Council should not in good conscience support MONUSCO’s departure from North Kivu or Ituri until more progress is made to de-escalate the ongoing conflict.
Colleagues, we were outraged by threats and obstructions by M23 and the Congo River Alliance against MONUSCO positions, supply routes, and movements in North Kivu. It is irresponsible for Rwanda, as a major troop-contributing country to UN peacekeeping, to tolerate such behavior by M23. We reiterate our call for Rwanda and the DRC to engage through the Luanda Process to find a mutually agreeable pathway towards de-escalation.
The United States stands ready to support efforts towards a resolution to the conflict. Such a resolution is critical for the security of the people of eastern DRC; the ability of the Congolese to secure, govern, and develop the eastern provinces; and for Rwanda to ensure its internal security and focus on its role as a security exporter.
Colleagues, we are alarmed by the rapid escalation of the conflict in recent months. According to credible reporting, Rwanda’s military interventions and operations in North Kivu have extended beyond mere support for M23 operations to direct and decisive involvement, allowing Rwandan troops and M23 to achieve military dominance across large swaths of North Kivu and greatly increase their territorial expansion.
Rwandan troops number upwards of 4,000 on DRC soil and have committed attacks that killed civilians, including the May 3 attack on the Mugunga IDP camp, which killed dozens and wounded many more. All parties in eastern DRC must take every precaution to protect civilian populations, especially those in IDP sites, including by removing artillery and other heavy weapons in the vicinity of such locations. The more than 2.5 million people displaced by M23 and RDF have endured untold suffering and—at a minimum—deserve physical protection from violence.
Colleagues, the United States recognizes the role and sacrifices of SAMIDRC in supporting the DRC government’s efforts to defend its territorial integrity. The primary goal of the United States in eastern DRC is to support a de-escalation of the conflict and put an end to the instability and human suffering the conflict has caused. That is why we believe this Council should guard against steps that could further inflame regional tensions—including extending significant MONUSCO support to SAMIDRC.
We are concerned extensive MONUSCO support to SAMIDRC may not reflect our shared interest in securing a political solution to the conflict. This is why we support the Council authorizing only limited MONUSCO support to SADC’s mission within its area of deployment, in furtherance of its mandate, without prejudice to its tasks, and within existing resources.
Finally, Rwanda and the DRC must urgently take immediate steps to de-escalate, fully commit to regional diplomatic processes, and work to hold accountable all actors responsible for human rights abuses—steps which represent the only hope for peace.
Thank you.