President,

I thank Special Envoy Xia Huang and Assistant Secretary-General Joyce Msuya for their respective briefings. I have also listened attentively to the statement made by Ms. Pétronille Vaweka. I welcome the presence of the representatives of the DRC, Rwanda, and Angola at today’s meeting. 

The recent period witnessed efforts by countries in the Great Lakes region to revitalize the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region, jointly respond to security challenges, and deepen regional cooperation. At the same time, the region’s fragile security situation, escalating violence, as well as grim humanitarian situation are truly worrying. The Security Council and the international community as a whole should devote more attention and investment to the region and provide more support, I would like to emphasize the following three points.

First, we call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and deescalation of the situation. Countries in the Great Lakes region are close neighbors that share weal and woe. China applauds the leaders of Kenya, Angola, and South Sudan for the good offices. However, the persistent turmoil in the eastern DRC over the recent period will erode the confidence of all parties in advancing the peace process and jeopardize hard-won results. China hopes that all parties will seize the opportunity of the upcoming summit of the Regional Oversight Mechanism to reaffirm their solemn commitments to respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, and not supporting armed groups. We encourage regional countries to implement the Luanda and Nairobi processes, and urge armed groups to immediately cease violence. Differences should be resolved through dialogue, and the use of military means should be avoided.

Second, the international community should support regional efforts to maintain common security. China commends the efforts of regional countries to strengthen their cooperation in defense-related matters and border management. We acknowledge the active role of the Contact and Coordination Group in promoting DDR as well as the peacekeeping operations carried out by Uganda, Burundi, and SADC in the eastern DRC. The AU will also host the second quadripartite summit with the EAC, ECCAS, SADC, and ICGLR to further enhance coordination among regional organizations and form synergy for maintaining stability. The international community should continue to support efforts to solve African problems in African ways, and support the improvement of relations among regional countries. China appreciates Special Envoy Xia Huang’s dedication and his diplomatic mediation and encourages his office to sustain the necessary support for the regional peace process.

Third, it is vital to promote common development and build a solid foundation for peace. Poverty and under-development are the root causes of the protracted unrest in the Great Lakes region. The international community should help regional countries address development challenges, scale up humanitarian assistance, and build up national capacity for growth, with a view to promoting peace through development. Recently, the DRC, Zambia, Angola, Kenya, and Uganda have deepened their cooperation in such areas as transnational infrastructure, energy extraction, and movement of personnel, turning resource endowments and demographic dividends into development advantages. The development agencies of the United Nations should provide strong support to regional countries in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and make more efforts in poverty eradication, food security, education, and employment, to name just a few.

President,

China has always been a staunch supporter of Africa's collective self-empowerment and integration process. We remain committed to accompanying the continent on its path towards modernization. China has been working with countries in the region within the FOCAC framework to implement a large number of result-oriented projects in business and trade, infrastructure, health, education and agriculture. This fall, FOCAC will convene its next summit in Beijing, China stands ready to work with the rest of the international community to continuously build up Africa's capacity for independent development, support the continent in accelerating its modernization, and promote regional peace, stability, development, and prosperity.

Thank you, President.