New Delhi: The United Nations Security Council in a statement condemned in the strongest terms the ongoing advances by the M23 in North Kivu, including its seizure of Masisi on 4 January and Sake on 23 January.
The council expressed grave concern about the threat posed to Goma, which could endanger hundreds of thousands of civilians.
These advances, according to the council, represent a serious violation of the cease-fire, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and jeopardizing peace efforts through the Luanda process.
The council reiterated its demand that the M23 immediately halt its offensive and reverse its territorial expansion. The council echoed a Jan. 26 statement from the U.N. secretary-general demanding the same.
The Security Council reaffirmed its unwavering support for the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), which is operating within its mandate to protect civilians and maintain security in the DRC.
The council paid tribute to the MONUSCO peacekeepers who risk their lives to fulfill this mission and offered its condolences to the families of those killed, including those from South Africa, Malawi and Uruguay.
It also stressed that any attack against MONUSCO peacekeepers could constitute a war crime, and emphasized that anyone involved in planning, directing, sponsoring or conducting attacks against peacekeepers could be subject to sanctions under U.N. Security Council resolutions. The council supported the MONUSCO and the Office of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes by revoking resolution 2765 (2024).