Great Lakes Region: Ceasefire between DRC and Rwanda not respected - Special Envoy | United Nations

UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region Huang Xia said that the agreed ceasefire between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda “is not being respected.” Addressing the Security Council, Huang Xia said, “Significant progress has been recorded on the diplomatic front. Thus, a real hope has arisen for the establishment of a ceasefire, which would open the way toward a lasting and definitive settlement of the conflict in the east of the DRC. First of all, American facilitation made it possible, on June 27 in Washington, to sign a Peace Agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda.” He noted, “While all these African and international peace efforts are commendable and promising, they have, to this day, not lived up to their promises: the agreed ceasefire is not being respected. After a brief lull, the parties to the conflict have strengthened their positions and resumed military operations. The humanitarian situation remains catastrophic.” He warned, “The alarming situation on the ground, marked by a shift of the front lines toward South Kivu, poses the risk of a regional flare-up that would annihilate all the peace efforts made.” He then called upon “those most directly concerned — namely, the brotherly countries of the region — to resume direct and frank dialogue, and to take all necessary measures to put an end to this war once and for all.”


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