Statement by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador João Genésio de Almeida Filho, at the UNSC briefings and consultations on the Democratic Republic of Congo - March 29th, 2022

Thank you, Madame President.

Let me start by thanking the Special Representative of Secretary-General, Madame Bintou Keita, for her briefing.

I would also like to welcome the delegation of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The points that I will raise today on behalf of Brazil focus on the deterioration of the security situation in the Eastern part of the country, particularly Ituri province, the safety and security of United Nations personnel and the opportunities presented by greater coordination between MONUSCO, and the armed forces of the RDC and of Uganda.

The security situation in Ituri province is cause for great concern. As described in the Secretary-General latest report, the last few months have witnessed an escalation of violence by armed groups. The Security Council has issued a Press Statement on the particularly brutal attack perpetrated by the CODECO militias on the Savo camp of internally displaced persons, which left dozens of civilians dead.

The situation in North Kivu province is no less worrisome. Brazil is particularly concerned by the increasing number of attacks using improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including in one instance a person-borne IED. In South Kivu, there are signs of increased activity of armed groups.

The civilian population has been directly affected by the violence, with no exception for women and children. Moreover, insecurity continues to hamper much needed humanitarian support.

This leads to the second point of my intervention: the safety and security of UN personnel. Dozens of incidents have affected UN programmes and personnel, not all of them directly caused by non-state armed groups. We take note of the fact that Congolese authorities and MONUSCO are engaged to address the incident where a MONUSCO patrol was fired at by soldiers of the FARDC.

Brazil has had the honor of contributing to MONUSCO by appointing some of our most distinguished officers to the position of Force Commander. They bear witness to the bravery and sense of duty of the troops and the civilian who perform their mission in adverse and oftentimes dangerous conditions.

Finally, we note recent steps of increased cross-border cooperation between the DRC and Rwanda, as well as the joint military operation involving the FARDC and the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF).  These initiatives, provided they are fully respectful of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the RDC, may create conditions for more effective actions in the stabilization of the region. Tripartite coordination between MONUSCO, the FARDC and the UPDF must be encouraged.

Before I finish, let me add that Brazil is saddened and concerned by the news of the missing MONUSCO helicopter. We eagerly wait for the results of the investigation about the incident.

Thank you, Madame President.