President,
I thank Special Representative Bintou Keita for her briefing. I have also listened attentively to the statement by Ms. Charlotte Slente. I welcome the presence of His Excellency Olivier Nduhungirehe, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Rwanda, and the permanent representatives of the DRC, Angola, and Burundi at today’s meeting.
Over the past two months, the situation in the eastern DRC has been turbulent, with the Great Lakes region being pushed to the brink of regional conflict. Since the Council’s unanimous adoption of Resolution 2773, the situation has eased a little bit,but M23 still occupies areas such as Goma and Bukavu, making the situation on the ground complex and volatile and a future filled with uncertainty.
The current round of conflict and violence has resulted in the loss of more than 7,000 lives and forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, making the humanitarian situation extremely grave. Any additional day of conflict brings more suffering to the people and more destruction to the region. An immediate and unconditional ceasefire is a clear demand of Council Resolution 2773, an overriding priority at this moment, and the basic consensus and universal call of the international community. China urges M23 to honor its commitment to a ceasefire, withdraw from the occupied territories, and lift restrictions on humanitarian access. All parties to the conflict should effectively fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law by taking measures to protect civilians and making every effort to ease the humanitarian crisis.
History shows that there is no military solution to the question of the eastern DRC, and that dialogue and negotiation are the only way out. We welcome the direct talks recently held in Qatar between the leaders of the DRC and Rwanda, and hope that the two sides will stay engaged to address each other’s security concerns through dialogue and negotiations. China welcomes the decision of the DRC Government to engage in direct dialogue with M23. M23 should respond to the good offices efforts responsibly and return to the track of dialogue as soon as possible.
China always supports African countries in solving African issues in African ways. Council Resolution 2773 is based on support for regional processes. At the beginning of this week, the EAC and SADC held their second joint summit, during which they called for the implementation of the roadmap adopted at the joint ministerial meeting and the appointment of a panel of facilitators to promote good offices. China welcomes these efforts. We encourage all parties to the conflict to expedite the implementation of the ceasefire plan and support the good offices of the panel of facilitators. The Security Council and the international community should actively support regional efforts and create a favorable environment for the regional process.
President,
MONUSCO, based on the Council’s mandate, has made enormous efforts and sacrifices to protect civilians under extremely difficult and dangerous circumstances. Its implementation of peacekeeping mandate should not be impeded. The safety of peacekeepers should not be compromised. And any attack on or targeting of MONUSCO is unacceptable. All parties to the conflict should facilitate its performance of duties and lift unreasonable restrictions on its freedom of movement, logistical supplies, and troop rotation. China supports a bigger role by MONUSCO in the peace process in the eastern DRC in light of the changing landscape and is ready to participate actively in the Council’s discussions.
President,
At present, the issue of the DRC is at a critical juncture for political settlement. China firmly supports the DRC in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and stands ready to work with all parties to play a constructive role in ending the conflict at an early date and restoring peace and tranquility.
Thank you, President.