Check against delivery! 

Dear President, Honourable Members,

A few weeks ago, we collectively addressed the escalation of violence in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and the unacceptable offensive of the M23 armed group supported by Rwanda. This conflict appears to have diminished in intensity, and there are some hopes that a ceasefire and credible peace process can be relaunched.

The European Union calls on all parties to refrain from violence and is committed to support the peace process. But the conflict has not stopped. We must not let our guard down. We have to be ready to react to new escalations or violations of key tenets of international law.

And we must continue to do our utmost to help those in need. Eastern DRC is plagued by multiple conflicts and numerous armed groups. These vary in size and nature, but all engage in deadly violence and horrific human rights violations and abuses.

This is why the European Union continues to actively engage with all our partners in the region in their efforts to address these challenges, be it over the phone or face-to-face, including the visits to the region.

We welcome and support the decision by the United Nations Human Rights Council of 7 February of 2025. This will establish a fact-finding mission to investigate the serious human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law committed in North Kivu and South Kivu since January 2022. 

We also welcome the ongoing work of the International Criminal Court. And we condemn the killings, kidnappings and looting of civilians by armed groups and any violence or persecution against any religious group or on any other grounds. Among the armed groups, I draw your attention specifically to the Allied Democratic Forces, ADF, affiliated with the Islamic State.

This group has in the past claimed attacks against Christian communities because of their faith. But they target all civilians with killings, kidnappings and looting. In 2023, ADF was the armed group responsible for the highest number of killings in the DRC, with over 1,000 victims. In the second half of 2024 alone, ADF was responsible for over 650 civilian deaths across North Kivu and Ituri.

The European Union has been actively engaged against these horrors and the overall violence in eastern DRC. Our diplomatic outreach and a concrete action under the European Union Great Lakes Strategy includes restrictive measures targeting individuals and entities responsible for serious human rights violations and abuses and or sustaining or exploiting the armed conflicts in the DRC.

These measures complement existing United Nations sanctions, [as] measures to strengthen DRC’s security and law enforcement apparatus so that they can better protect the population, including against armed groups. We are also helping tackle extremism and hate speech. Support for the local and regional conflict mediation initiatives, actions to stabilise border areas and measures to improve the resilience of populations in eastern DRC. Delivery of much needed humanitarian assistance [is needed] to respond to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

In the protection of the Congolese people and their rights, the European Union is committed to working with all stakeholders, including churches and faith-based organisations to prevent further violence.

Thank you. 

• Link to the video:https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-269870 

Closing remarks 

Honourable Members, thank you for this debate.

All human rights violations and abuses need to be thoroughly investigated. Every victim must be recognised and supported, and all perpetrators must be held accountable for their crimes, when it comes to Rwanda, when it comes to Gaza, when it comes to Ukraine, everywhere.

That is also why we push for the sanctions and also the suspension of the agreement on raw materials. I mean, in the Foreign Affairs Council, we have a broad support for this. And now, I think the wording was that the Foreign Affairs Council calls on the work the Commission has to do to suspend the Memorandum of Understanding of the raw materials. So, the Commission has gotten this point.

I think it is important that all the violations and abuses are really investigated. And this is not fundamental, not only for the justice, but also to tackle the long-term drivers of instability and insecurity across DRC and the Great Lakes as well.

So, we are committed to working with all key stakeholders to prevent further violence and to support Congolese people and the peoples of the Great Lakes region in their pursuit of peace and justice.

Only a concerted effort by the region, supported by the international community, can bring the end to a recurrent cycle of crisis and violence that has affected the DRC and the Great Lakes for too long. Serious human rights violations and abuses are part and parcel of this cycle.

The European Union is ready to do its part to contribute to this effort. So, thank you again for this debate.

• Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-269873