UN chief calls for stronger efforts to end violence in Great Lakes region
“It is time to put an end to violence,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the summit of the Regional Oversight Strategy for Peace, Security and Cooperation for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the region, held in Bujumbura, Burundi.
Since the the renewal of the M23 armed group in the DRC in 2021, more than 500,000 people have fled The violence, he said, also raises concerns about the current “infinitely worrisome” security situation in Ituri region.
The current crisis demands action
“The current crisis shows that there is still much to be done,” he warned, adding that the ongoing violence threatens the stability of the entire Great Lakes region.
The protocol, signed in 2013 in Addis Ababa, “has raised many hopes” of ending decades of violence, he said. encourage redouble efforts from signatory countries, the African Union, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
‘Put your hand down’
Reiterating his call to the armed forces, he said “put your hand down immediately and rejoin formation, dissolution, and consolidation progress. “
Within the Strategy, promotion efforts must now focus building the foundation of communication between the parties to identify sustainable solutions to differences, put an end to impunity for perpetrators of border violations, and promote peace in general, he stressed.
Indeed, for peace to be sustainable, he said The voices of women, youth and the displaced must be fully heard in all political, security and judicial processes.
Peace and development go ‘hand in hand’
Turning to Eru’s region rich natural and cultural wealthhe said the DRC is home to the second largest rainforest in the world, accounting for ten percent of the world’s biodiversity.
“We must make sure that he holds it source of prosperity and development, it is not about fights, rivalries, and constant abuse,” he said. “Peace and development must go hand in hand.”
“The United Nations is in full force, alongside you,” he said, welcoming the initiative of the African Peace and Security Council in February to revive the Protocol.
“Only together can we achieve the common goals of peace, security, and cooperation of the Addis Ababa Protocol,” he said. “The people of the region trust us.”
