United Nations, Jan 28 The United Nations Security Council condemned strongly ongoing advances by the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), demanding them withdraw immediately and urging all parties to abide by the ceasefire.
In a press statement issued after an emergency meeting on the DRC, the council members condemned ongoing advances by the M23 in North-Kivu province, and expressed serious concerns regarding imminent threats against Goma, the capital of North Kivu and a major regional hub, Xinhua news agency reported.
These advances "represent a serious violation of the ceasefire, exacerbate the grave humanitarian and displacement crisis in the eastern DRC and undermine efforts to reach a lasting peaceful and political solution to the conflict through the Luanda process," the statement said.
The council members demanded that the ongoing offensive and advances towards Goma immediately stop, calling on the M23 to reverse its territorial expansion without delay.
They reiterated their full support to the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), which is acting within its mandate and doing essential work in the DRC, and expressed their strong commitment to the safety and security of its peacekeepers. They stressed that attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes.
The council members condemned the ongoing flagrant disregard for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC, and demanded the external forces in the eastern country withdraw immediately. They urged all parties to scrupulously abide by the ceasefire.
They urged Rwanda and the DRC to return to diplomatic talks to achieve a lasting and peaceful resolution of the protracted conflict in the region, and reaffirmed their support for the ongoing mediation efforts between the two countries through the Luanda Process.
As the situation is deteriorating rapidly in the eastern DRC, several foreign embassies have issued advisories urging their citizens to leave North Kivu. The United Nations announced Saturday that it has temporarily relocated non-essential staff from Goma.
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