"Next week, in Addis Ababa [the capital of Ethiopia], I will participate in a summit of the African Union Peace and Security Council, where this crisis will also be highlighted. Ahead of these crucial meetings, I want to make a special appeal for peace.", said the UN leader.

Focusing on the “enormous human costo” of the conflict in the DRC, the former Portuguese prime minister indicated that thousands of people were killed — including women and children — and hundreds of thousands were forced to flee their homes in the east of the country, in addition to numerous reports of human rights abuses, including sexual and gender-based violence, forced recruitment and the interruption of humanitarian aid.

"We also see the ongoing threat from other armed groups, whether Congolese or foreign. (…) Meanwhile, the conflict continues to spread in South Kivu and risks engulfing the entire region.“, he warned.

Guterres also took the opportunity to pay tribute to all those who lost their lives in the conflict, including the “blue helmets” of the UN mission in the DRC (Monusco) and members of the regional forces, and expressed solidarity with the “Congolese people who find themselves once again victims of a seemingly endless cycle of violence".

"As the Tanzania summit begins and I prepare to depart for Addis Ababa, my message is clear: Silence the guns. Stop the escalation. Respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC.", appealed.

"There is no military solution“, added the UN leader, stressing that it is “time for all signatories to the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region to honor their commitments".

"It's time for mediation. It's time to end this crisis. It's time for peace. The stakes are very high. We need the active and constructive role of all stakeholders, including neighboring countries, subregional organizations, the African Union, and the United Nations. Let's all act together for peace.“, concluded Guterres.

The offensive by the M23 – composed mostly of Tutsi victims of the 1994 Rwandan genocide – has increased tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, with Kinshasa accusing Kigali of supporting the armed group, an allegation confirmed by the UN.

For their part, Rwanda and the M23 accuse the Democratic Congolese army of cooperating with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a group founded in 2000 by genocide leaders and other exiled Rwandans to regain power in their country, a collaboration also corroborated by the UN.

Since 1998, eastern DRC has been in conflict fueled by rebel militias and the army, despite the presence of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country.

Picture: © DR