Violence, aid access continues to obstruct humanitarian effort in DR Congo 

For Bintou Keita, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and caput of the UN Stabilization Mission successful the DRC (MONUSCO), nutrient insecurity and cyclical epidemics are large concerns. 

Attacks connected schools and hospitals have also exacerbated humanitarian challenges successful respective parts of the east, particularly Ituri. 

With implicit 5 cardinal internally displaced people, the state has the highest fig of internally displaced radical connected the African continent. More than 26 cardinal Congolese also suffer from nutrient insecurity, about 29 percent of the population. 

Addressing the Council Members, Ms. Keita urged them to summation their contributions to the 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan, that asks for $1.98 billion. To date, conscionable implicit a 4th of the program is funded. 

Bintou Keita, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and caput of the UN Stabilization Mission successful the DRC (MONUSCO), briefs the Security Council successful 2019, by UN Photo/Loey Felipe

Two challenges 

The Special Representative highlighted 2 main challenges: the information and extortion of civilians successful the east, and the process of antiauthoritarian consolidation in DRC.  

On the information front, she informed that, since the declaration of a authorities of siege by the Government, in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, MONUSCO has redoubled its efforts to enactment the Congolese authorities.  

Ms. Keita warned, though, that “much remains to beryllium done, including to guarantee that the quality rights of the colonisation are systematically respected successful the combat against equipped groups.” 

For her, the promulgation connected July 5 of the Ordinance connected the Programme for Disarmament, Demobilization, Community Recovery and Stabilization, represents “a large opportunity.” 

She informed that joint subject operations against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), had dismantled several of the rebel group's strongholds, but human rights violations perpetrated by authorities and non-State actors “remain worrying.” 

According to her, betwixt June and August, 367 people were victims of arbitrary and extrajudicial executions. About 203 people, mostly women and children, suffered intersexual violence. 

She besides informed that successful immoderate regions, peculiarly successful South Kivu, inter-community conflicts are fuelled by hatred speech. 

“These populist and belligerent speeches are a information to the stableness of the state and should beryllium the taxable of exemplary judicial sanctions”, she argued. 

Democratic consolidation 

On democratic consolidation, she said the enactment of a caller Government successful April “has provided an accidental to beforehand connected captious reforms.” 

For now, the absorption is the 2023 elections. Pointing to a “context of governmental suspicions”, Ms. Keita reiterated the request for “an inclusive and peaceful electoral process founded connected dialogue, trust, and transparency.”  

She pointed to the renewal of MONUSCO’s mandate, saying that a joint modulation plan has been developed and constitutes “a roadmap that tin assistance usher the enactment of the Mission successful the coming years and hole the crushed for its orderly and liable withdrawal.” 

She concluded asking the Council to proceed providing its afloat backing to MONUSCO, by endorsing the associated modulation plan, providing financial resources, and having an progressive relation in making it a reality.