General Assembly Security Council

UNSC Open Debate on the Great Lakes Region

(20 October 2021; 1000 hrs)

 

Statement by Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti

Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations

-----

 

Thank you, Madam President.  Allow me to welcome your Excellency for chairing today’s briefing.

 

Let me also thank Kenya for organizing this important Open Debate on Great Lakes Region, a region which has the potential to become engine of growth for the African continent and beyond. Today’s initiative and deliberations, Madam President, will contribute positively to ongoing efforts to implement the commitments under the Peace, Security, Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and the region. In this regard, we welcome the adoption of the PRST under your leadership.

 

2. I thank Special Envoy Mr. Huang Xia for his briefing on the developments in the Great Lakes region. I also thank Amb. Joao Caholo, Executive Secretary of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), and ASG for Africa Ms. Martha Pobee for sharing their insights. I also welcome the participation of Foreign Minister of Angola, High Representative of President of DRC, and representatives of Uganda and Rwanda in today’s meeting.

 

3. The political developments in the region during last six months have remained on track aiding the implementation of the Framework. The region was witness to peaceful elections in Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Zambia. These events reflect the faith of the people in the democratic institutions and elections. The leaders have also pursued the path of dialogue and have been instrumental in strengthening bilateral relations. This is evident in purposeful engagements between DRC, Burundi and Rwanda with each other. The African Union Peace and Security Council has also decided to remove Burundi from its agenda, reflecting the improved situation. The regional and sub-regional organizations have also held several important meetings, including the ICGLR summit and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit. We welcome these developments.

 

4. While political stability is a necessary condition to address the common challenges, the interlinkages of security and socio-economic factors cutting across the region, need a sustained and well-coordinated approach. In this regard, let me make following six observations:

 

i) Threat from armed groups remains the main cause for insecurity in many countries of the region, particularly in the eastern DRC. Terrorist groups have also began exploiting the vulnerability of armed groups. This needs serious consideration of the international community. We believe the issue can be dealt only with the extension of effective State authority and through institutions promoting rule of law. Towards this end, strengthening of security and police forces remains critical. The onus lies predominantly with the concerned member state which bears the fundamental responsibility to protect its citizens. The international community and the UN should continue assisting the efforts of these countries to address the security challenges.

 

ii) The porous international border in the region remains a major impediment in combating the armed groups. It is well known that illegally exploited natural resources are traded across borders and weapons are bought in exchange. Given the nature of the problem, security cooperation between the countries is important. In this regard, we welcome the high-level regional diplomacy and the re-invigoration of the bilateral mechanisms to strengthen border control, sharing of information and intelligence and border infrastructure development. We also note the progress in the ICGLR’s Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism and look forward to the convening of the 10th Regional Oversight Mechanism of the Peace Security and Cooperation (PSC) Framework.

 

iii)  Disarmament, demobilization, reintegration, repatriation, and resettlement of former combatants has delivered mixed results so far. Slow movement on this front can demoralize and disincentivize prospective combatants. Therefore, the implementation of DDRRR programmes need to be expedited. In this context, we welcome the Contact and Coordination Group under the PSC Framework to identify and implement non-military measures to address the problem of armed groups.

 

iv) The DDRRR process presupposes a political understanding or agreement between state authorities and armed groups, which in turn depends on the level of trust and confidence. The door for inclusive dialogue in a spirit of reconciliation must always be kept open. We welcome the announcement of a ceasefire by the Government of the Central African Republic and look forward to an inclusive process. We particularly commend the persistent role played by the ICGLR under the chairmanship of President of Angola, through its Mini-Summits, in shaping a positive outlook in the CAR. This is a useful model of a regional mediation effort.   

 

v) The illegal exploitation, trafficking and illicit trade of natural resources have contributed to armed conflict in many parts of the resource rich Great Lakes region. We believe that existing systems and efforts at the regional level need be strengthened further to address the issue. Effective implementation of the ICGLR Regional Initiative on Natural Resources, which includes a regional certification mechanism for minerals, must be supported and expanded. In this regard, we welcome the High-Level Regional Workshop on Natural Resources held in Khartoum recently. Institution-building and regulatory compliance needs to be emphasized and pursued from local to regional level. This is where international partners and the UN can support ICGLR efforts. It may be difficult to discuss investment and participation of private sector and IFIs in mining and extraction sector without addressing these fundamental issues.

 

vi) Lastly, an overarching element related to this discussion is livelihood. The abundance of natural resources in the region should provide an immediate solution, but unfortunately much more remains to be done in this regard.

 

 

Madam President,

 

5. The Great Lakes region is at a cusp of a potential transformation. The countries in the region are making sustained and determined efforts to overcome the challenges and need steady support from the international community. The international community and the UN need to work with them in line with their national priorities.

 

6. 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 collaborated through exchange of experts, training and capacity building programs and enhanced support towards post-conflict reconstruction in the region. India is cognizant of the importance of peace and security in the development of the region and we remain steadfast in our commitment to this region.

 

  Thank you, Madam President.

 

-----