Violence in Democratic Republic of the Congo - Security Council Briefing (5 October 2021)

The United Nations of Earth reporting on this issue: "Violence in Democratic Republic of the Congo - Security Council Briefing (5 October 2021)"
The topics: Security Council briefing by Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), on the Secretary-General’s latest report on the DRC and the current situation in the DRC. Violence and access constraints in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continue to hamper humanitarian operations in a context where one in three people need assistance, the senior UN official in the country told the Security Council today (5 Oct). In her address to the Council, Bintou Keita, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) highlighted two main challenges, the security and protection of civilians in the east, and the process of democratic consolidation in DRC. Keita said, “as we approach the renewal of MONUSCO’s mandate, I believe that the joint transition plan constitutes a roadmap that can help guide the work of the Mission in the coming years and prepare the ground for its orderly and responsible withdrawal. This must not obscure the fact that there is still much to do to silence the guns in the eastern provinces, foster the political dialogue necessary to pave the way for credible and transparent elections in 2023 and support the long-term strengthening of the country’s institutions” She reiterated the need for an inclusive and peaceful electoral process founded on “dialogue, trust, and transparency” and said to this end, “MONUSCO continues to pursue its good offices with actors across the political spectrum, including to advocate for increased women’s participation in this process.” The UN official said, “since the government declared a state of siege in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces, the mission has stepped up its efforts to support the armed forces, the police forces and the judicial authorities in order to restore the presence and authority of the state in each of these territories.” Addressing recent allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse during the Ebola response, Keita said, “I would like to underscore MONUSCO and the UN country team's unwavering commitment to a zero-tolerance policy for sexual exploitation and abuse and to provide comprehensive assistance to victims.” She said, “the DRC humanitarian team has strengthened its prevention systems and systems to combat sexual exploitation and abuse. To do so, 1.5 million dollars have been made available through the common humanitarian fund."


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