Statement delivered by His Excellency Abukar Dahir Osman, Permanent Representative of Somalia to the United Nations, on behalf of the A3+, at the United Nations Security Council briefing on the Great Lakes Region

Mr. President,

1. I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the A3+ members: Algeria, Guyana, Sierra Leone, and my country, Somalia.

2. We express our sincere appreciation to Mr. Huang Xia, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region, for his comprehensive briefing and continued engagement in support of peace, security and stability in the region. We also thank Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, for her briefing. We welcome the participation of H.E. Mrs. Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, State Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophonie of the Democratic Republic of Congo, H.E. Téte António, Minister of External Relations of the Republic of Angola and Chairperson of the Executive Council of the African Union, and representatives of the Rwanda and Kenya to this meeting.

3. Despite the continued diplomatic efforts by countries in the region in addressing the ongoing challenges, the road ahead remains long. The A3+ remains gravely concerned about the escalation of violence and armed group activities in Eastern DRC and the potential impact on the security situation in the region. We are particularly concerned about the severe impact on civilians, including women and children and the heightened risk of regional destabilization. We unequivocally condemn all acts of violence and violations of international law, including international humanitarian law.

Mr. President,

4. The A3+ calls for calm and encourages more efforts to restore good neighbourliness, address differences through peaceful means and deepen cooperation among countries. The interconnected nature of the challenges in the region demands a continued focus on dialogue and good neighborliness. We therefore strongly urge an immediate cessation of all hostilities and calls for the resumption of inclusive dialogue. We welcome the adoption of the joint EAC/SADC roadmap, which establishes a coordinated framework of political and security measures to de-escalate tensions and bring lasting peace to eastern DRC. This framework must be preserved, reinforced, and implemented with the constructive engagement of all parties.

5. In pursuit of peace and security in the region, we must address the security challenges in the region, with priority given to violence and the continued attacks by armed groups in the DRC. We commend the continued commitment of President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço and Chairperson of the African Union in advancing the peace process and look forward to the new role of the president of Togo, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé as AU-appointed new mediator in DRC. We also express our appreciation to His Highness the Emir of Qatar for facilitating the meeting between the Presidents of Rwanda and the DRC. Moving forward, it is essential to strengthen coordination among regional and international initiatives to ensure strong coherence, complementarity and alignment. On this latter point, we stress the need to avoid duplicate tracks, thereby running the risk of undermining the peace process.

6. The A3+ recalls Security Council resolution 2773 and we recognize MONUSCO's vital role in supporting Congolese authorities and facilitating civilian protection.

7. As we continue to engage in addressing the security challenges in the region, we must not overlook the humanitarian crisis in the region. The humanitarian situation in the region is taking a tragic turn. We are deeply concerned by the displacement of millions of civilians who have been forced to leave their homes, attacks on health facilities, and the unconscionable incidents of sexual violence and forced recruitment of children. We call for unrestricted humanitarian access and urge the protection of civilians from the attacks of armed groups. The protection of civilians must be central in all efforts towards peace and stability in the region.

Mr. President,

8. The Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region remains a cornerstone for stability. We call for the revitalization of this important farmwork and urge all signatories to honor their commitments and immediately cease any support to armed groups operating in the region. We also stress the importance of the Framework’s revitalization process at this juncture and call on the signatory countries to support this.

9. To achieve lasting peace, we must address the root causes of instability in the DRC and the Great Lakes region: the illicit exploitation of natural resources, underdevelopment, and insufficient state presence and poor governance in affected areas. We therefore condemn the unauthorized and destructive activities of armed groups in the protected natural areas in the DRC which undermine efforts for the protection of the forests, the biosphere and the environment as a whole. We call for enhanced efforts to safeguard these assets. The A3+ fully supports the implementation of the UN Strategy for Peace Consolidation in the Great Lakes Region.

10. Our position remains firmly anchored in support of inclusive dialogue, guided by the principles of national ownership and African solutions to African problems.

11. We express our firm support for the merged Luanda and Nairobi processes as decided by the EAC/SADC Summit and urge Rwanda and the DRC to engage fully in this process, prioritizing the peace and stability of the region.

12. In conclusion, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and all states of the region. The path to sustainable peace lies in a political solution founded on dialogue, respect for international law, and steadfast support for regional peace initiatives.

Thank you, Mr. President.