UNSC Briefing on the Great Lakes Region

Statement by Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti

Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations

12 April 2021

Thank you, Mr. President,

I thank Special Envoy Mr. Huang Xia for his briefing on the developments in the Great Lakes region. I welcome Ambassador Mohamed Edrees (Egypt), Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) to this meeting and thank him for his remarks on the Commission’s engagement in support of peacebuilding and regional cooperation in the Great Lakes region. We also welcome PBC’s continued engagement and active role in the region.

2. Let me take this opportunity to reiterate our deepest condolences on the passing away of Hon’ble President John Pombe Magufuli last month. He will always be remembered for his strong commitment to nation building and for his steadfast devotion to the welfare of the people of Tanzania.

3. Peace, Security and Cooperation (PSC) Framework for the Democratic Republic of Congo and the region is an essential mechanism to achieve lasting peace and security in the Great Lakes Region. The PSC Framework with the involvement of 13 countries in the region and the guarantors, the AU, ICGLR, SADC and the UN, has been playing an important role in the last 8 years towards consolidating peace and security in the region. The Framework has enabled countries in the region to collaborate and work together to eliminate negative forces operating within the region. The early convening of the 10^th Regional Oversight Mechanism will help advance regional security cooperation further.

4. In recent months, there have been several positive political developments. Elections have been conducted successfully in Tanzania, Uganda, Republic of Congo and Central African Republic, reflecting the faith of people in democracy. The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo assumed the rotating Presidency of the African Union, which will have a positive impact on the region. The countries in the region have also intensified bilateral engagements, with regional organizations playing a proactive role. The continuing efforts towards normalization of relations between Rwanda and Burundi is another encouraging sign. These efforts deserve the appreciation of the Council.

5. On the security front, cross-border incidents have reduced, though activities of the armed groups continue unabated, affecting the overall security in the border areas and aggravating the humanitarian situation. We are also concerned by the growth of terrorism in the region. In this regard, we encourage more active collaboration between national security forces to address the common security threats. We also encourage active implementation of the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism of the ICGLR to address security related issues, particularly along the borders of countries in the Great Lakes region.

6. The illegal exploitation and extraction of natural resources is one of the major drivers of conflict in the region. We welcome the steps undertaken by the Special Envoy to support regional efforts to address this challenge, and the roadmap to track progress in the next three years. Regional organizations will be crucial in this effort, in particular ICGLR and the six tools under its Regional Initiative against the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources, which includes the establishment of a certification and tracing mechanism.   

7. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the socio-economic difficulties already faced by the countries in the region. With more than 15 million displaced in the region and many thousands of refugees, the region needs continuous support and assistance.

8. We welcome the UN Strategy for Peace Consolidation, Conflict Prevention and Conflict resolution in the Great Lakes region. The implementation of the strategy needs to be in line with the priorities of countries in the region.

9. India has close bilateral relationships with all countries in the Great Lakes region. A key driver of these relationships is the people-to-people contact that has existed for many years, with a large Indian diaspora in the region. We have also collaborated through exchange of experts and expertise, training programs and capacity building, enhanced support towards post conflict reconstruction in the region. India has extended lines of credit totaling US $ 3.93 billion so far to 10 countries for various developmental projects. In the last few months, Made-in-India COVID-19 vaccines have made their way to 8 countries in the Great Lakes region.

10. India is cognizant of the importance of peace and security to the development of the region. India has also contributed towards defence and security in the region through the setting up of Defence institutions in Tanzania; deployment of training teams in Botswana, Uganda, Zambia, and Tanzania; goodwill ship visits, and Defence Training Programmes. Indian defence forces have been in the forefront in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, including during cyclone IDAI in Mozambique in 2019. India has been contributing to Peacekeeping operations in DRC since 1962. We have also contributed troops to other UN missions in the region.

11. In closing Mr. President, let me reaffirm that India remains steadfast in its commitment to this region and will continue to support international efforts in bringing about lasting peace.

I thank you, Mr. President.

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