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Remarks by Ambassador Dai Bing at the UN Security Council Briefing on the Democratic Republic of Congo

2022-09-30 13:43

Mr. President, 

I thank Special Representative Bintou Keita and Ambassador Michel Xavier Biang for their briefings. I also listened carefully to Mr. Mudinga’s statement. I welcome the presence of the permanent representatives of the DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi at today's meeting. 

The recent period witnessed continued turmoil and escalating violence in eastern DRC, ensnaring innocent civilians and seriously undermining peace and stability of the country as well as the wider region. During the just concluded general debate of the UN General Assembly, this situation drew heightened attention from regional leaders and the international community. In light of the Secretary-General’s report, I would like to highlight the following points. 

First, restoring stability is the top priority. The M23 and other armed groups continue to recover, resulting in heavy casualties and the displacement of millions of people. The Congolese Government, working alongside MONUSCO and regional countries, has taken military actions to combat violence. China expresses its support. We urge all armed groups in the DRC to immediately respond to the call of the Nairobi process, cease violence without delay, and participate unconditionally in political dialogue, reconciliation and DDR process. The maintenance of political stability constitutes the cornerstone of the DRC’s peaceful development. China welcomes the efforts of the Congolese authorities to appoint the president of the constitutional court and amend the Electoral Law. We welcome Independent National Electoral Commission’s announcement of the date for voter registration, and call on all parties in the DRC to enhance consultations, bridge differences, and create a favorable political atmosphere for the smooth holding of general elections as scheduled. 

Second, we should support regional efforts as an effective way to address the situation. The Kenyan and Angolan leaders have been actively engaged in good offices. The operationalization of the EAC joint force continues to register progress. The presidents of the DRC and Rwanda met recently in Luanda, and adopted a roadmap. SRSG Keita and Special Envoy Xia Huang visited several countries in the region. China applauds those developments. The situation in eastern DRC bears on the stability of the entire region. The international community should continue to support efforts to resolve African issues in African ways, support the respective role of and the synergy between the Nairobi process and the Luanda process, and support regional countries in respecting each other's interests and concerns and resolving differences through dialogue and consultation, with the view to de-escalating the situation as soon as possible. 

Third, the effective performance of MONUSCO’s mandate is the key. The MONUSCO peacekeepers have braved hardship and peril, and made enormous sacrifices for the maintenance of peace and stability in the DRC. At the same time, MONUSCO must keep abreast of the evolution of the situation, and meet the expectations of the Congolese Government and people. The Security Council should, in accordance with the PRST on capacity building for sustaining peace in Africa adopted this past August, streamline and optimize MONUSCO’s tasks, rollback and curb mandates that are beyond the Mission’s abilities, and devote resources to core tasks such as protecting civilians and maintaining security and stability. MONUSCO should continue to communicate with all sectors of the Congress community through various channels to enhance mutual understanding and trust. We express our condolences to the peacekeepers and civilians who died in the recent clash, and hope that there will be timely investigation and proper handling of the incident. China supports MONUSCO to strengthen its coordination with the Congolese authorities on the drawdown plan, respect the concerns of the host country, and implement the drawdown plan in a steady, orderly, and responsible manner in accordance with the situation on the ground as well as exit benchmarks. The DRC Government has repeatedly requested the Security Council to lift the arms embargo. President Tshisekedi also raised this issue again during his statement at the general debate. The Security Council should respond positively to this request. 

Thank you, Mr. President.

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