Mr. President, 

I thank Special Representative Bintou Keita for her briefing. I also thank the permanent representatives of France and Gabon for their briefings on the Council’s visit. I welcome the presence of the permanent representatives of the DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi at the meeting. 

For some time now, the DRC Government has made active efforts in advancing security sector reform, combating armed groups, promoting economic development, and preparing for general elections. However, the security situation in eastern DRC continues to worsen, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. The Council sent a mission to visit the DRC this month to deepen its understanding of the situation on the ground and listen to the opinions and expectations of people from all walks of life in the DRC. China appreciates the DRC Government and MONUSCO for the work they did in hosting the consultation and support issuing a PRST in light of the visit. I would like to emphasize the following points. 

First, ceasefire and cessation of violence are top priorities. The continued attacks by armed groups in eastern DRC may worsen the security situation there. With the help of the African Union and regional countries such as Angola, M23 announced its agreement to ceasefire and dialogue in early March. China calls on M23 and other armed groups to earnestly honor their commitments, cease all violent activities, and withdraw from the occupied areas. Recently, the DRC Government launched a DDR program covering 6,000 people in the three provinces of eastern DRC. China expects favorable conditions to be created by the relevant plans for the DDR and armed groups’ participation in dialogues. 

Second, regional organizations should be encouraged to play an important role. We welcome the recent AU and East African Community summits on eastern DRC. We welcome the active mediation efforts made by the leaders of Kenya, Angola, and Burundi to deescalate the situation. We expect the Nairobi and Luanda processes to continue to play an important role. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Peace and Security Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the Great Lakes Region. We hope that countries in the region will sum up their experiences, reinvigorate this important process, and commit to resolving differences through dialogue and consultation in building a shared future. China encourages the office of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region and MONUSCO to jointly support regional efforts of good offices. Both the EAC and Angola are carrying out peacekeeping and security operations in the DRC. All parties need to coordinate for synergy. 

Third, MONUSCO should be supported in providing targeted assistance. Special Representative Keita leads MONUSCO to overcome difficulties and actively implement mandates, and has done important work in conducting joint patrols, supporting SSR, advancing DDR, and supporting preparations of general elections. Under the current circumstances, MONUSCO should earnestly fulfill its core mandates in protecting civilians, supporting the building of government institutions, and DDR in the DRC. MONUSCO, the DRC Government, and all sectors of society shall strengthen communications, enhance mutual trust, and ensure the smooth performance of peacekeeping operations. The Secretary-General will submit a report to the Council in July on MONUSCO’s reconfiguration of the uniformed personnel. China advocates for listening to the opinions of the countries concerned in advancing the drawdown responsibly. 

Fourth, the international community should vigorously support humanitarian responses. The worsening situation in eastern DRC has displaced six million people, resulting in enormous humanitarian needs. The international community needs to provide adequate resources for the DRC’s humanitarian response plan. Relevant UN agencies and the DRC Government should work together to maximize the benefit of their humanitarian assessments and ensure safe and smooth delivery of supplies. While meeting short-term humanitarian needs, we should also help the DRC strengthen its capacity of independent development in accordance with its actual needs. China adheres to mutual respect, mutual benefit, and win-win results in its cooperation with the DRC, and supports the DRC in transforming its resource advantage into development advantage. The China-DRC cooperation project has achieved remarkable results in supporting local industrial development, expanding employment, and improving people's livelihood, and has been welcomed by the DRC Government and its people. China would like to work with the international community to make more contributions to the peace and development of the DRC. 

I thank you, Mr. President.