In a recent UN Security Council briefing, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield highlighted escalating tensions in the Great Lakes region, particularly between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, describing the security situation as “dire.”
Addressing the Council in New York, Thomas-Greenfield emphasised the international community’s role in bolstering initiatives like the East African Community’s (EAC)-led Nairobi and Luanda processes. She revisited actions urged six months prior, calling for an end to the region’s human rights abuses and illegal activities, such as unauthorised mineral extraction.
The Guardian reported that the Ambassador stressed the urgency for parties involved to adhere to their obligations as per the Luanda communiqué. This includes the M23’s retraction to the Sabinyo Line and subsequent disarmament, conditions hindered by the group’s obstruction of site access, stalling Demobilization, Disarmament, and Reintegration (DDR), and encumbering MONUSCO operations.
She firmly requested Rwanda to cease backing the M23, recognized by UN sanctions, and to initiate withdrawal from DRC territories. Concurrently, she called on the Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) to sever relations with the UN-affiliated Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
The U.S. representative urged coordination among regional forces in the eastern DRC, whether inserted bilaterally or via the EAC, to synergize efforts with MONUSCO. She cautioned against Council endorsement of increased MONUSCO assistance to the EACRF without establishing safeguards compliant with UN human rights, accountability, and command protocols.
“These protective measures are critical in preventing the exacerbation of an already precarious security landscape,” Thomas-Greenfield asserted, citing the displacement of over 500,000 individuals in 2023, with displaced populations suffering inadequate basic necessities in overstretched camps.
Commending the constructive stance of both DRC and Rwanda representatives, the Ambassador underlined the necessity for legitimate, non-violent elections, advocating for broad inclusivity in the electoral proceedings.
