Democratic Republic of Congo: humanitarian concerns and UK condemnation of armed groups
The United Kingdom, through its Special Envoy for the Great Lakes, Alison Trorpe, has expressed concern about human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). caused by armed groups such as the M23, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), the Allied Defense Forces (ADF) and the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CONDECO).
The UK’s Special Envoy for the Great Lakes has called on all parties involved in the conflict to uphold their commitments made in the Nairobi and Luanda regional diplomatic peace processes. According to the UK, these processes offer the best way to achieve a lasting peace, with immediate de-escalation by all parties and respect for sovereignty.
In her statement, she said: “The human rights of all Congolese must be respected and all those who have committed human rights violations and abuses must be held accountable. There is only one way out of this conflict; the violence must end to give dialogue and peace a chance to succeed and for those who have endured great suffering to have a chance to rebuild their lives.”
The UK strongly condemns external support for armed groups and the immediate and serious consequences this brings, such as large-scale human displacement and humanitarian suffering. The country fully supports the United Nations Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the work it is doing, and calls on all Member States to cooperate fully with it.
Faced with the deterioration of the political climate, the National Episcopal Commission of Congo (CENCO) called for vigilance and credibility for peaceful general elections in the DRC. Political parties and actors involved in the electoral process are urged to remain open to dialogue and an inclusive approach to ensure free and fair elections.
The money to finance the general elections is in trouble; the treasury of the Congolese State in difficulty to finance the ongoing electoral process. The Prime Minister of the DRC participated in the Summit for a new Global Financial Pact in Paris to fight against climate change, initiated by Emmanuel Macron.
Finally, among other news in the DRC, the Edouard Mwangachuchu case has been postponed by the High Military Court, and the UDPS Tshisekedi party from the province of Kasai-Oriental takes to the streets to demand the resignation of Governor Kabeya Matshi