UNSC Briefing and Consultations on the situation in the Great Lakes region
Ambassador Harold Agyeman
Ghana’s Representative to the United Nations
New York, New York
April 19, 2023
Mr. President,
I have the honour to make this statement on behalf of the members of the A3, namely Gabon, Mozambique and my own country, Ghana. I take this opportunity to commend the dynamism of Mr. Huang Xia, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region, who is actively working for the consolidation of peace in that region. His exhaustive presentation provides us with additional elements which allow for a better understanding of the situation in the Great Lakes region. Our appreciation is extended to the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission for his equally useful insights in this regard.
The A3 welcomes the presence of the Permanent Representatives of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi, whose perspectives we look forward to hearing, as concerned countries in the region. Our intervention will be limited to 4 points on the security, political, economic and humanitarian situations.
Mr. President,
The A-3 remains deeply concerned about the deterioration of the security situation in the region, including the serious daily abuses experienced by civilian populations, who are subjected to the cycles of terror imposed by armed and terrorist groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We reiterate in the strongest terms our condemnation of these acts of violence perpetrated mainly by the armed groups of the M23, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO), Mai-Mai, Zaire and others, which lead to massive displacement of populations in the DRC but also in neighboring countries.
The A3 takes note of the withdrawal of the M23 from some previously occupied territories and call for their complete withdrawal from Eastern DRC. We reiterate our demand for the withdrawal of all foreign armed groups from the DRC, the immediate cessation of all external support to armed groups, adherence to the Nairobi process by local armed groups and their participation in the P-DDRC-S (Disarmament, Demobilization, Community Reintegration and Stabilization Programme), and the full implementation of the outcome the Luanda Mini-Summit of 23 November, 2022, reaffirmed in the Communique of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union on 17 February, 2023.
We look forward to the upcoming Nairobi IV conference as an opportunity for all local armed groups to recommit themselves to silencing the guns in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adhering to the ongoing political process. The gravity of the situation risks taking us back to the darkest hours in the history of the region of the Great Lakes, more than twenty-five years ago. We must not wait for the security situation to worsen further and for the region to flare up again. The escalation of tensions in the region is already at a climax and the combination of terrorist attacks, daily massacres of civilians perpetrated by armed groups, with an approaching important electoral deadline in the DRC must lead us now, to mobilize all diplomatic, political and security channels to stem this wave of violence.
Mr. President,
At the political level, the dynamism of the subregional organizations for the restoration of peace in this region is to be commended. The African Union whose Peace and Security Council has just carried out a field visit to the DRC from 20 to 23 March 2023 as well as the Luanda and Nairobi processes reflect the continued commitment of Africa for the stabilization of the Great Lakes. Ghana, Mozambique and Gabon commend the continued involvement of Presidents João Lourenço, William Ruto and Evariste Ndayishimiye, as well as former President Uhuru Kenyatta, facilitator of the East African Community, who has worked tirelessly to restore confidence among the leaders of the countries of the region.
The A3 commends the East African Community (EAC) Regional Force and MONUSCO troop-contributing countries for their commitment to promoting regional peace and security and welcomes the recent deployment of Ugandan, Kenyan and South Sudanese troops to eastern DRC to augment the regional force. The A3 also welcomes the decision made by the Angolan government to deploy troops to the eastern DRC for one-year to secure stability and protect ceasefire monitors. We believe that the work of the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanisms (EVCM) and the Ad Hoc Verification Mechanism is necessary to strengthen confidence-building measures. We recall that for the regional mediation processes to be effective, it is crucial that the massacres against civilians should cease, that dialogue be re-established, and that confidence be restored among all relevant stakeholders of the region. We welcome the African Union’s decision to support the deployment of the EAC force through an allocation of resources from the Crisis Reserve Facility of the AU Peace Fund and invite international partners to provide financial, logistical, material and technical expertise to the Force and the ongoing regional initiatives in Luanda and Nairobi.
Cognisant of the number of troops deployed on the territory of the DRC, the A3 calls for the establishment of a real coordination and cooperation mechanism between the Congolese Defense and Security Forces, MONUSCO and regional and bilateral forces for optimal protection of civilians. As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Addis Ababa Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework agreement for the DRC and the region, Ghana, Mozambique and Gabon underscore the strategic importance of its effective implementation by all. This Agreement remains a compass on which the DRC and the signatory countries can continue to rely to succeed in getting the region out of the recurrent upheavals of violence and instability. To that end, it is essential to proceed with its urgent revitalization, with a genuine political will by all signatory countries to respect their commitments. It is clear that in the face of the uncertainties that cloud the future of the Great Lakes region, the mobilization of the international community is essential, but this must be concerted and coordinated in support of the regional initiatives of Nairobi and Luanda, which are currently the only credible ways out of the crisis.
Mr. President,
As is widely known, there can be no development without peace and the nexus between peace and development is a major challenge to get the Great Lakes region out of endemic crises. In this regard, we cannot address the security situation in the Great Lakes without examining the issue of the plundering of natural resources to the detriment of its populations. We are pleased to note that the region’s growth rate in 2022 was 4.5 per cent, driven in particular by the recovery in global demand in the mining, industrial and services sectors. This performance would have been even better were it not due to the region’s economies being strained by the combined effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and Ebola crisis, fuel shortages, soaring food prices, amongst other factors.
We must remember that in view of the economic potential of the region, it could become the economic lung of Africa. The dynamism of the economy of the DRC plays a great role to that effect, taking into account the wealth of its natural resources and the potential to take advantage of the internal market of the Great Lakes. The fight against the illicit trafficking of natural resources should lead to the development of the DRC and the countries of the area. The development of natural resource wealth offers the countries of the Great Lakes region the opportunity to build an area of shared prosperity. In this regard, efforts to integrate the economies of the region by strengthening economic cooperation and trade must continue. This is bolstered by the effectiveness of regional mechanisms such as the Regional Mineral Certification Mechanism set up by the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region. We welcome, in this connection, the meeting of the Regional Committee to Combat the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources, held from 15 to 18 November 2022.
Mr President,
The A3 recalls that drying up the sources of financing of armed and terrorist groups undoubtedly requires the strengthening of judicial institutions in the countries of the region. It is essential to punish all individuals and entities involved in the massacre of populations and the destabilization of the countries of the region. Ending impunity is no longer an option, and in that regard, we welcome the support provided by the Office of the Special Envoy to strengthen the judicial capacities of the DRC and the countries of the region.
We note with concern that in conflict zones human rights abuses are steadily increasing, with 82 per cent of violations committed in the DRC in conflict-affected areas, 74 per cent of which were committed by armed and terrorist groups. Respect for human rights is inherent in the restoration of peace and we welcome the support provided by the International Organization of La Francophonie to strengthen the DRC’s capacities in this area.
Mr President,
The humanitarian emergency in the Great Lakes is symptomatic of the security crisis. There are approximately 9.4 million internally displaced persons in the region, including 6.2 million in the DRC, resulting in millions of out-of-school children whose future are being jeopardised. We urge the international community to continue its mobilization for the financing of the Humanitarian Response Plans of the countries of the region to alleviate the suffering of refugees and displaced persons. It is crucial that humanitarian workers be able to carry out their mandates safely and unhindered.
Enfin, Monsieur le Président, les A-3 saluent l’engagement de l’Envoyé spécial, M. Huang Xia pour la région des Grand lacs. Le Gabon, le Mozambique et le Ghana réitèrent leur solidarité avec les peuples de la région des Grands Lacs et réaffirment leur ferme attachement au respect de la souveraineté, de l’intégrité territoriale et du principe de l’intangibilité des frontières des pays de la région.
Je vous remercie.