MONUSCO: A3+1 Statement

I have the honor to make this statement on behalf of the A3+1, namely Kenya, Niger, Tunisia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The A3+1 thanks Ambassador Abdou Abarry for his work as the Chair of the 1533 (DRC) Sanctions Committee. We thank Ms. Bintou Keita, for her briefing and commend her team for their commitment to supporting peace and security in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We also thank Ms. Marie Madeleine Kalala for her briefing.

We are encouraged by H.E. President Tshisekedi's commitment to ensuring a timely, inclusive, transparent, credible, and peaceful electoral process in 2023 in line with the Constitutional timelines. We welcome the establishment of the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), the promotion of freedom of expression and democratic space, and the meaningful participation of women and youth in decision making positions.

The A3+1 calls on the international community, financial and technical partners, to continue to support the government of DRC in strengthening the capacities of its national security, justice and economic institutions, including by supporting the government's programme of action for the period 2021 to 2023 which provides key tools for creating safe environments conducive to advancing lasting and sustainable peace, stability and development.

Mr. President

The A3+1 remains deeply concerned over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in eastern DRC, which has been worsened by widespread insecurity, particularly the destabilizing activities of armed groups. We recognise the efforts being made by the Congolese Government to pacify the region and restore state authority. We underscore the importance of guaranteeing security by safeguarding the freedoms and rights of the population, promoting zero-tolerance to gender-based violence and holding accountable perpetrators of human rights abuses.

The need for humanitarian assistance is growing due to the alarming number of refugees and internally displaced people. We urge international partners to scale up their assistance by contributing, with a sense of urgency, to the 2021 Humanitarian response plan, and encourage the United Nations and its member states to reinvigorate their support for refugees and the respective host countries that host them by strengthening our collective international responsibility in line with the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework.

The A3+1 recognises the efforts by the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and MONUSCO against armed groups and reiterate the importance of continued support through, inter alia, enhanced joint military operations, information sharing, training and capacity building programmes including, Weapons and Ammunitions Management (WAM), Counter IED and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD).

The threat posed by armed groups in DRC cannot be solved by military means alone. The A3+1 therefore welcomes a comprehensive approach that includes the establishment of the programme for disarmament, demobilization, community reintegration and stabilization (P-DDRCS) and MONUSCO's engagements in supporting its operationalisation.

Mr. President,

The A3+1 recognises the linkage between the illegal exploitation and trade of resources and the illegal trafficking of small arms and light weapons in fueling armed conflict. We therefore encourage MONUSCO, in accordance with its mandate, to support the Congolese Government undercut the economic lifelines of armed groups that benefit from the illegal exploitation and trade in natural resources.

We urge for enhanced regional cooperation in promoting the implementation of the provisions of the Addis Ababa Framework Agreement and other regional tools to fight illegal exploitation and trade of natural resources in Eastern DRC. We further call upon the international community and various stakeholders to support the DRC government in monitoring and curbing as necessary the supply chains for the illegally exploited and traded natural resources.

Mr. President,

Protection of civilians in the conflict affected regions remains crucial. In this regard, we encourage the SRSG to redouble her efforts in protection of civilian activities, particularly through the neutralization of armed groups by MONUSCO Force Intervention Brigade. The protection of civilians is the first priority on the ground and that is why we urge all UN agencies and other partners of the DRC to make the protection of civilians a high priority and undertake it through engagement activities.

We welcome efforts undertaken by the Secretary-General to mobilize all partners and stakeholders in support of a more effective United Nations peacekeeping through his initiative "Action for Peacekeeping" and encourage the Secretary-General to undertake regular strategic reviews of MONUSCO including the progressive implementation of the Comprehensive Planning and Performance Assessment System (CPAS) to describe the Mission's impact, effectiveness and facilitate as necessary a re-evaluation of the Missions composition and mandate in the context of its gradual and responsible withdrawal.

The A3+1 reiterates its commitment to the principle of subsidiarity as enshrined in the letter and spirit of the UN Charter. In this regard, we encourage cooperation and coordination of regional organisations in particular, the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the African Union (AU) in supporting to mediation, dialogue and the restoration of trust among the regional member states in order to consolidate sustainable peace, security and development.

In conclusion, we reiterate our steadfast support for MONUSCO in the efforts to provide support for the sustainable stabilisation and development of the DRC and our support to facilitate its work through the renewal of its mandate in the incoming days.