UNITED NATIONS, Oct 14 (APP):Pakistan has urged greater coordination among diplomatic initiatives addressing the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), stressing that progress in negotiations must yield tangible improvements on the ground as civilians face displacement, food insecurity and an Ebola outbreak.
“Continued fighting in North and South Kivu, the activities of armed groups and the increasing use of drones continue to endanger civilians and undermine regional stability,” Acting Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, told the UN Security Council during a briefing on the situation in the Great Lakes region on Tuesday.
In this regard, he voiced deep concern over the “fragile” situation in eastern D.R. Congo, and said the immediate priority remains an effective and durable cessation of hostilities, so as to create the necessary space for a political solution.
At stake is the State’s ability to restore its authority over territory contested by the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23), a Rwandan-backed armed rebel group, and other armed outfits while averting a wider regional confrontation. Parallel mediation efforts include the Washington peace agreement, signed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda on 27 June 2025, and the Qatar-facilitated Doha process between the Congolese Government and AFC/M23.ngo.
In his speech, the Pakistani envoy highlighted that peace mechanisms and frameworks already exist, but the region is being undermined by continued fighting, armed groups, a devastating humanitarian crisis (compounded by an Ebola outbreak), and a gap between diplomatic declarations and real-world implementation.
Ambassador Jadoon urged all involved countries and parties to move past empty rhetoric and translate their diplomatic commitments into concrete, verifiable progress on the ground to genuinely rebuild regional trust.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the DRC, along with the continued revitalization of the region’s Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework.
At the outset, Huang Xia, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region, presented his biannual report on the implementation of the 2013 Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for DR Congo and the region.
He underscored progress on the implementation of the Doha and Washington processes, also outlining “encouraging” diplomatic progress on implementing these agreements, through the signing of a protocol and road map by Congolese authorities and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), as well as ongoing African Union mediation efforts, including a mission by the Panel of Facilitators to Goma, Kigali and Kinshasa from 5 to 11 October .
“Despite this sustained diplomatic effort, the security and humanitarian situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has continued to worsen,” he went on, adding: “This worsening of the situation has occurred in a regional context marked by persistent tensions that continue to undermine peace efforts.”
A genuine ceasefire is difficult to achieve, despite the Council’s unanimous calls for one, through several resolutions, including resolutions 2773 (2025). He voiced concern over persisting hostilities in several areas, armed drones aggravating civilian suffering and the spread of the Ebola virus, leading to a climate of distrust in the region between Kigali and Kinshasa and also between the latter and Burundi.
Amidst such “interrelated challenges”, he outlined his diplomatic efforts towards dialogue and de-escalation and called for a strengthened role for the African Union so that its various increasingly aligned mediation efforts help implement agreed commitments.
Source: APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)
