The United Nations envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, DR Congo) has warned the Security Council (UN-SC) on Wednesday that the security situation in the eastern part of the country has "deteriorated considerably" in recent months and that the humanitarian situation has become "increasingly dramatic". Following the briefing, the UN-SC adopted a presidential statement, strongly condemning the increase in attacks by the “Mouvement du 23 mars” (M23) rebel group in North Kivu province, which are worsening regional security and stability and exacerbating the extreme humanitarian situation.
At the Security Council meeting, Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, reported that the security situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has, once again, “worsened markedly” since her last briefing
"The intensification of the conflict with the M23 and the persistent activism of other armed groups, including the ADF, Zaire and CODECO, to name a few, continue to inflict intolerable suffering on the civilian population," Keita told the 15-member Council.
Keita, who is also the head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), pointed out that in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri, hundreds of thousands of people have fled abuses by armed groups and clashes between the M23 and the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) but also between CODECO armed group and militants from the Zaire group – which have clashed often over the control of gold mines in the region.
In North Kivu in particular, fighting between M23 rebels and the Congolese armed forces has displaced 900,000 people since March 2022.
The Special Representative stressed that humanitarian needs, which are already immense, “continue to increase.” The intensifying conflict with M23 and other armed groups continues to inflict untold suffering on civilians and contribute to an increasingly catastrophic humanitarian situation in the DR Congo.
“This humanitarian crisis remains one of the most neglected in the world. The displaced populations, which I visited, live in extremely precarious conditions," she said.
Against this backdrop, Keita called for the mobilization of the funds necessary to implement the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). According to the 2023 HRP, the Democratic Republic of the Congo will need $2.25 billion to enable United Nations agencies, as well as national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to deliver assistance to 10 million of the most vulnerable people in the country.
Keita also detailed MONUSCO’s efforts to support the Congolese government on the ground, including its engagement with the Congolese armed forces to protect civilians. Keita stressed, however, that military operations alone will not provide stability in the east, calling on the Security Council to encourage the parties to the Nairobi and Luanda processes to abide by their commitments.
The Special Representative also condemned persistent obstacles impeding humanitarian access, including the attack against a United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) helicopter in February. She called on all parties to the conflict "to respect international humanitarian law and facilitate humanitarian access to vulnerable people wherever are."
Adopting a presidential statement Wednesday, the Security Council also recalled its recent visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo amidst increasing violence and extreme humanitarian need and voiced support for the African-led regional processes to resolve the crisis.
The Council strongly condemned the increase in attacks by the M23 in North Kivu during recent months. Further, the 15-nation organ demanded full, immediate implementation of commitments relating to a cessation of hostilities, the end of any further advances by the M23 and the group’s withdrawal from all occupied areas as agreed through the African Union-endorsed Luanda process.
The UN-SC also strongly condemned increased attacks by armed groups against civilians in Ituri and North Kivu, demanding that all members of armed groups immediately and permanently disband, lay down their arms, end and prevent violations perpetrated against women and children, and release children from their ranks.
Further, the Council underlined the importance of a political resolution of the current crisis, urging all Congolese armed groups to participate unconditionally in the Eastern African Community-led Nairobi process.
Eastern DRC is home to multiple armed groups, including the rebel M23 force, ADF rebels, the CODECO armed group and Zaire militants. A dramatic resurgence of clashes between the M23 and the Armed Forces of the DR Congo began in March 2022. The humanitarian situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo drastically deteriorated due to the escalation of the conflict in the North Kivu province.
Over the past year, the resurgence of violence in North Kivu has displaced over 900,000 people, including towards the provinces of South Kivu and Ituri. In February alone, nearly 300,000 people fled across Rutshuru and Masisi territories in North Kivu Province.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world, and the situation in the country is one of the most neglected displacement crises globally. For decades, the country has endured multiple, overlapping emergencies driven mainly by conflict and forced displacement. The UN estimates that 26.4 million require humanitarian assistance in the country this year.
With 7.1 million forcibly displaced people, the DR Congo has more displacement than any other country in Africa. Some 6.1 million people are internally displaced within the country, mainly in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri, while 1 million refugees and asylum seekers from DRC are hosted in neighboring countries.
While the DR Congo continues to experience violence perpetrated by more than 100 armed groups active in the eastern regions, the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC has operated in the regions since 1999 and is the largest UN peacekeeping mission in the world.
MONUSCO has been authorized to use all necessary means to carry out its mandate to protect civilians, humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence and to support the Government of the DRC in its stabilization and peace consolidation efforts.
Further information
Full text: The situation concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UN Security Council, presidential statement, S/PRST/2023/3, adopted March 29, 2023
https://undocs.org/en/S/PRST/2023/3
Full text: Security Council Adopts Presidential Statement on Visiting Mission to Democratic Republic of Congo, Affirms Commitment to African-Led Initiatives Tackling Crises, UN Security Council press release, March 29, 2023
https://press.un.org/en/2023/sc15248.doc.htm