April 16, 2025
France reaffirms its support for the action of the United Nations in the region, that of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General and MONUSCO, as well as that of humanitarian actors. In this regard, I would like to thank the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region, Mr. Huang Xia, and the Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms. Catherine Russell, for their statements, in particular for their action. I thank Minister Tete Antonio for the elements he provided as chairperson of the Angolan Presidency of the African Union, and I welcome the presence of the Minister of State of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Four messages from France today:
Firstly, the horrors that far too many children are facing and witnessing are proof that the humanitarian situation calls for action.
As Ms. Russell pointed out, the ongoing conflict is devastating the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The scale of rape and sexual violence involving children, as documented by UNICEF, is shocking. The situation is aggravated by the offensive carried out by the M23 since January, with the support and participation of Rwandan Defense Forces. The hostilities must cease in order to put an end to violations of international humanitarian law and of human rights, as well as summary executions of children, their recruitment by armed groups, systematic sexual violence, and all other serious violations of children’s rights, which must not go unpunished.
Secondly, as outlined in the resolution 2773, the conclusion of a ceasefire is imperative.
Despite numerous efforts, fighting continues, fueling the risk of regional expansion of the conflict. The communities of Southern and Eastern Africa reminded the need for a ceasefire in a joint call on February 8. The Security Council unanimously reaffirmed that in Resolution 2773. The Congolese and Rwandan presidents have declared their commitment to it in Doha last month. We must not wait any longer. Once concluded, the ceasefire must be monitored through a credible verification mechanism. MONUSCO must be prepared to play a role here. We also continue to call on Rwanda to end the illegal presence of its armed forces on the territory of another sovereign State in violation of its territorial integrity and in defiance of the resolutions of this Council.
Thirdly, given the urgency of the situation, France supports dialogue initiatives.
In particular, France supports regional mediation efforts provided by the African Union, the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community. These organizations have a key role to play in contributing to a cessation of hostilities, to a de-escalation of the crisis, and to finding a political solution through the harmonised Luanda and Nairobi processes. The appointment of the President of the Republic of Togo, Mr. Faure Gnassingbé, as the new African Union mediator must continue the momentum initiated by President Joao Lourenço, whose efforts France commends. We must implement the agreed parameters for an immediate and definitive withdrawal of Rwandan defense forces from Congolese territory and the demobilization of the FDLR by the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We believe that civil society dialogue initiatives are paramount, such as the one provided by the Conférence épiscopale nationale du Congo and the Eglise du Christ du Congo for a social pact for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Great Lakes region. Finally, France actively supports the work of the Special Envoy to promote regional cooperation, including with regards to the traceability of natural resources.
Fourthly, the convergence of all efforts is needed.
We must support all these efforts so that we can ensure a lasting political resolution as soon as possible. Last week, France as president of the Council, organized informal discussions with Angola, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Qatar and the United Nations to work towards aligning and coordinating this initiatives. We must act to ensure an effective ceasefire, the opening of humanitarian corridors, as well as the re-opening of the Goma airport and the full implementation of Resolution 2773.
There is no military solution to the conflict in the Great Lakes region. Negotiations must be concluded in order to end this crisis and work towards peace and shared prosperity in the region.
The Council must remain actively involved to create conditions conducive to that end. We must be prepared to shoulder our responsabilites in the absence of progress.
Thank you.