The UN Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region Huang Xia/HANDOUTThe Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region Huang Xia has condemned the ongoing clashes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The United Nations SG for the Great Lakes Region expressed concern at the rapidly deteriorating security situation in the eastern part of the DRC, marked by renewed clashes between the coalition of Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and the March 23 Movement (M23).
He condemned the escalation of tensions, the territorial expansion of the M23, and the breakdown of the ceasefire, which is worsening an already extremely precarious humanitarian situation for the civilian population.
The Special Envoy called on the parties to prioritise dialogue within the framework of the Luanda and Nairobi regional peace processes.
He further called on them to refrain from any acts likely to constitute violations of national and regional commitments under the Peace, Security and Cooperation (PSC) Framework for the DRC and the region, signed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2013, including violations of the territorial integrity of states and support for armed groups.
He recalled that the persistence of hostilities compromises collective efforts to promote stability and sustainable development in the Great Lakes region.
The Special Envoy pledged to support the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes to achieve a peaceful resolution of the conflict in eastern DRC and put an end to the suffering of the population.
The Special Envoy further reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations to work closely with the governments of the region, the other guarantors of the PSC Framework, namely the African Union, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), as well as international partners.
The move is to bring the process of revitalizing the Addis Ababa Framework Agreement to a successful conclusion and to achieve full implementation of the commitments made by the signatory States.
He called for the urgent convening of the Twelfth High-Level Meeting of the Regional Oversight Mechanism of the PSC Framework.
This will enable the Heads of State of the region to address the ongoing crisis in eastern DRC and examine the draft Action Plan for the revitalization of the Addis Ababa Framework Agreement.
This is with a view to tackling the root causes of the conflict and putting an end to the cycles of violence to establish lasting peace in the Great Lakes region.
