30 08 13 UN Security Council – PRESS STATEMENT on the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The members of the Security Council
expressed their condolences to the family of the peacekeeper killed in the
attack, as well as to the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and to
MONUSCO. They
called on the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to swiftly
investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.
They recalled that
intentionally directing attacks against personnel, installations, material,
units or vehicles involved in a peacekeeping mission in accordance with the
Charter of the UN, as long as they are entitled to the protection given to
civilians or civilian objects under the international law of armed conflict,
constitutes a crime under international law.
They reiterated their demand to M23 and other armed groups including FDLR
to cease immediately all forms of violence and that their members immediately
and permanently disband and lay down their arms. In this regard, they reiterated
their readiness to adopt additional targeted sanctions against those acting in
violation of the sanctions regime and the arms embargo.
The Members of the
Security Council also expressed concern at reports of repeated mortar shells and
bombs from DRC territory landing in Rwandan territory, and called for a thorough
investigation into the sources of these shells and bombs by the Expanded Joint
Verification Mechanism (EJVM).
The members of
the Security Council commended the active steps taken by the United Nations
Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(MONUSCO) to implement its mandate, in particular the protection of civilians,
and encouraged the continuation of these efforts. They welcomed SRSG’s Kobler order to the
force to take all necessary actions to protect civilians. They emphasized that
any effort to undermine MONUSCO’s ability to implement its mandate will not be
tolerated.
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