Kinshasa, 9 April 2017 - The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Congo (MONUSCO), Maman Sidikou, continues to follow recent developments in the country closely and has taken note in this regard, of the appointment by President Joseph Kabila, on 7 April 2017, of a new Prime Minister, Mr. Bruno Tshibala. He has…
6 Apr 2017 - Remarks by H.E. Mr. António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, during the Security Council thematic debate entitled Peacekeeping Operations Review. New York, 6 April 2017 United Nations peacekeeping is an investment in global peace, security, and prosperity. Around the world, the Blue Helmets are the concrete expression of the Charter’s determination “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” The achievements…
KINSHASA, 5 April 2017 – MONUSCO is alarmed by ongoing reports from the Kasai region of escalating violence that is continuing to result in serious human rights violations including an ever growing number of civilian casualties and the discovery of mass graves as well as ongoing recruitment by the militias, especially of children. The most recent violence, between 14-17 March, has affected the town of Kananga, during which dozens of people were…
31 March 2017 – The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for another year but reduced the number of troops. In a resolution unanimously adopted, the 15-member body decided to keep the UN Organization Stabilization Mission (MONUSCO) until 31 March 2018, but approved 16,215 military personnel, 660 military observers and staff officers, 391 police personnel, and 1,050…
The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the killing of two UN experts from the Group of Experts who were monitoring the sanctions regime in the Kasaï Central region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and expressed concern over the unknown status of the four Congolese nationals accompanying them. The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy to the families of the victims, the Governments…
Kinshasa, March 29, 2017 – As announced by the Secretary General of the United Nations yesterday, the United Nations Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) has confirmed that the bodies located and recovered by MONUSCO peacekeepers on 27 March are those of the two members of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Michael Sharp (United States) and Zaida Catalan (Sweden), missing since 12 March. The bodies of the experts were located…
I am deeply saddened to confirm that the remains discovered by peacekeepers from the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) on 27 March outside of the city of Kananga in the Congolese Kasaï-Central province are those of Michael Sharp (United States) and Zaida Catalan (Sweden), members of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo missing since 12 March 2017. I convey my profound condolences to…
Addis Ababa, New York, Brussels and Paris, 27 March 2017: The African Union (AU), the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU) and the International Organisation of La Francophonie continue to follow developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) closely. They express deep concern over the grave situation in the Kasaï provinces, as illustrated by reports that, between 23 and 24 March, about 40 members of the Congolese National…
Statement by SRSG Maman Sidikou to the Open Session of the UN Security Council 21 March 2017 Monsieur le Président, Distingués membres du Conseil, Je vous remercie de l’opportunité que vous m’offrez de m’entretenir avec vous aujourd’hui au sujet de la situation en République démocratique du Congo (RDC). Comme le souligne si bien le Rapport du Sécrétaire général sur la Mission de l’Organisation des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation en République…
KINSHASA, 18 March 2017 – MONUSCO expresses grave concern over reports of renewed violence in Kananga between 14 and 17 March 2017. The Mission has received credible reports of high numbers of deaths in the context of clashes between Kamwina Nsapu militiamen and members of the Congolese security forces. MONUSCO is concerned by the attacks of Kamwina Nsapu militiamen against State institutions and symbols, but also the disproportionate use of…