Robert Wood, the Alternate Representative of the United States of America for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations (UN), has called upon the government of DR Congo to denounce hate speech and hold accountable those who incite violence within its territory.
Wood was speaking during the UN Security Council Briefing on DR Congo and The Great Lakes Region, on Wednesday April 19.
He asked the DR Congo government to “immediately end cooperation” with armed groups including the FDLR, receive security sector reform, as well as “continue denouncing hate speech and hold individuals accountable for inciting violence.”
Wood noted that the security situation in DR Congo has been taken advantage of by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) terror group which will continue to pose a threat.
“Conflict has displaced more than half a million people in 2023 alone, many of whom are being forced to live without access to adequate food, water or medical care in camps filled far beyond capacity,” he said.
He welcomed the initiative and commitment of regional partners and the recent decrease in fighting, but said that despite these efforts, the situation in The Great Lakes Region continues to deteriorate and tensions between the DR Congo and Rwanda remain.
In recent weeks, Burundi, Uganda and South Sudan have deployed troops to North Kivu Province. Angola has also committed to deploying troops to restore peace.
“It is imperative that additional security forces do not aggravate an already tense situation. As such I repeat my call on regional leaders to ensure their forces respect human rights, prioritise the safety of civilians and refrain from illicit activities such as extraction of natural resources,” he said.
Wood also said that the DRC government must do more to protect its citizens including providing land for sites where displaced people can receive services and enforcing its laws against human trafficking.
In a speech that Rwanda’s envoy to the UN Claver Gatete made, he said there is a need to be genuine about addressing the real problems of rights, justice and development, and committed to finding sustainable solutions for the people “who look to us for leadership.”
He blamed DR Congo for lacking the will to negotiate with the M23, despite its efforts to adhere to the Nairobi agreement by continuing to withdraw from the areas it was occupying.
“The region and the international community are expecting Kinshasa’s cooperation to achieve lasting peace in eastern DRC following M23’s withdrawal,” he said.
“If negotiations are off the table, once M23 completes its withdrawal, the peace mechanisms may hit a dead end yet again and the consequence would be the recurrence of atrocities,” he added.
At a period when Rwandans and the world commemorate the Genocide against the Tutsi, Gatete noted that the UN sanctioned terrorist group that carried out the genocide is still at large in the DRC.
“Furthermore, FDLR enjoys the support and political shield that the DRC government provides while in active violation of UN sanctions. Since fleeing to the DRC, 29 years ago, the group has persistently spread its genocidal ideology in the DRC,” he said.
Gatete commended the ongoing deployment of East African Community Regional Force contingents to the DR Congo and M23’s ongoing withdrawal.
