The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Michael Imran Kanu (Sierra Leone):
The members of the Security Council welcomed the signing on 15 November of the Doha Framework for Peace between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Alliance Fleuve Congo/Mouvement du 23 mars (AFC/M23), as an important step towards de-escalation, cessation of hostilities, national reconciliation, restoring stability, rebuilding trust and addressing the root causes of conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
They expressed their deep appreciation to Qatar for its critical mediation role, as well as to the United States, and reaffirmed the key role of the African Union and Togo in this regard.
The members of the Security Council urged the signatories to materialize their commitment to a permanent, effective and verifiable ceasefire. They called on the signatories to stay engaged and work in good faith towards the finalization of all remaining protocols, annexes and technical arrangements to ensure effective implementation, with a view to dismantling all illegitimate parallel administrations and restoring State authority throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in line with resolution 2773 (2025).
The members of the Security Council expressed their determination to actively support the implementation of the peace process, including with regard to full ceasefire implementation, with the support of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and regional mechanisms, where appropriate, for an agreed verification mechanism. They further reiterated their demands that all actors cooperate fully with MONUSCO and guarantee unimpeded implementation of its mandate.
The members of the Security Council reiterated their concerns regarding the security and humanitarian situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. They underlined the need to build on the current momentum to make concrete progress in addressing the humanitarian crisis and facilitate full, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, and notably humanitarian flights, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. They welcomed pledges made at the Paris Conference for Peace and Prosperity in the Great Lakes Region on 30 October and called upon relevant parties to honour their commitments in this regard.
They demanded that all parties fully comply with international law, including provisions governing the protection of civilians, and reiterated that perpetrators of violations of international humanitarian law, and as well as violations and abuses of human rights must be held accountable.
The members of the Security Council reaffirmed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and called on all parties to honour, in good faith, their obligations and commitments for lasting peace in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region.
