General Assembly Security Council

UNSC Briefing and Consultations on the Great Lakes region

[Wednesday, 27 April 2022, 1000 hrs EST]

 

Let me begin by thanking Special Envoy Huang Xia for his update on the developments in the Great Lakes Region. I also thank Ambassador Joao Caholo, Executive Secretary of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) for the briefing.

 

2. It is evident from today’s briefings that there have been positive developments in the Great Lakes region since the last briefing to this Council. The countries in the region have continued to engage in both bilateral and multilateral formats regularly, including at the highest levels, in order to strengthen relations and address outstanding issues of common concern. These developments need further encouragement from the international community. The historical challenges that continue to hinder progress need solutions rooted in the region, and owned by the regional countries. All of us need to work with them together, in line with their national priorities.

 

3. One of the key developments was the convening of the Tenth High-Level Meeting of the Regional Oversight Mechanism of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework Agreement on 24 February at Kinshasa. We commend the resolve of the region’s leaders to fulfilling the commitments to the Framework Agreement, particularly to implement a comprehensive approach towards eliminating the threat of armed groups through both military and non-military measures.

 

4. We also welcome the communique of the Second Heads of State Conclave on the Democratic Republic of the Congo which had convened in Nairobi on 21 April, adopting a two-track approach of security enforcement and political process for securing lasting peace for the region. We hope that the consultative dialogue process envisaged will take place with all armed groups, and we call on all armed groups to disarm and comply with the conditions laid down for dialogue. We take positive note of the initiatives of Heads of State of the ICGLR on the Joint Roadmap for Peace for the Central African Republic and encourage the Government of the CAR to pursue their efforts in this regard.

 

5. While there has been some commendable progress on the political track, the security situation in the Great Lakes Region remains volatile. The activities of armed groups such as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and signs of resurgence of the M23 are a cause of concern and must be dealt with firmly. The violence perpetrated by armed groups continues to perpetuate an environment of insecurity, causing the loss of innocent lives, displacement, loss of livelihood, and a sense of despondence among the local people. Statistics from recent briefings to the Security Council on sexual violence and IDPs in the region are alarming: cases of sexual violence have doubled in the last two years in the Central African Republic, and approximately 16.3 million IDPs were registered in the region, with DRC alone recording some 6.7 million. It would be unrealistic to expect a voluntary return of these IDPs to their homes when acts of violence continue to dominate.

 

5. We are concerned at the growing terrorist attacks in the region, particularly in Uganda and DRC in the last few months. We strongly condemn these terrorist attacks and express condolences to the families of those who were killed. The linkages of armed groups in the region to terror groups outside the region must be continuously monitored and nipped in the bud. Concerns about these linkages were also underscored in the communique of the Regional Oversight Mechanism of the PSC Framework meeting. The ongoing global fight against terrorism cannot and should not be compromised for narrow political gains.

 

6. We welcome the setting up of the Operational Cell of the Contact and Coordination Group, the CCG, in Goma by regional countries. We hope that this will be a helpful coordination point for the regional countries with UN Peacekeeping Mission in DRC, the MONUSCO, the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM), the Joint Intelligence Fusion Center, and the Armed Forces of DRC, the FARDC. The coordination of CCG with the DRC’s recently validated National Programme for Disarmament, Demobilization, Community Recovery and Stabilization (P-DDRCS) will be important. We also encourage close collaboration between the CCG and the Great Lakes Judicial Cooperation Network for ensuring accountability for cross-border crimes by armed groups.

 

7. Illegal exploitation, trafficking and illicit trade of natural resources has exacerbated the armed conflict in the Great Lakes region. While noting the ongoing regional efforts, we reiterate the importance of improving traceability and certification processes for natural resources, especially of gold given its linkages with financing armed groups. We also endorse the call for an exhaustive evaluation of ICGLR’s Regional Initiative on Natural Resources (RINR) in each country, as well as the integration of recommendations of the high-level workshop on natural resources in Khartoum last year into the national and regional mineral strategic plans of ICGLR members.

 

8. We have no doubt that full and equal participation of women in peace and development is the foundation of sustainable peacebuilding in the Great Lakes region. We welcome such efforts to enhance the participation of women and youth in political processes and peacebuilding.

 

9. India has close bilateral relationships with all countries in the Great Lakes region, driven by several decades of people-to-people contacts and the presence of a large Indian diaspora that is positively contributing to socio-economic development. Our engagement covers a whole range of sectors, including health, education, agro-processing, infrastructure projects and capacity building. As part of our overall efforts to combat the COVID-19 vaccine shortages in the region, India has provided more than 7 million vaccines till date. Indian peacekeepers in the region are at the forefront of supporting post-conflict reconstruction. India remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting and partnering with the countries in the Great Lakes region in their quest for peace, development, and prosperity. I thank you.

 

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