Ukraine's Foreign Ministry responds to escalation of hostilities in Congo

Background

Recently, Congolese rebels from the M23 movement supported by Rwanda announced the capture of the large city of Goma in eastern DRC. It was reported that international peacekeepers had been killed, and hundreds of thousands of residents had fled their homes fearing that the conflict could escalate into a large-scale regional war.

For more details on the situation in the region, read the material by RBC-Ukraine.

Reaction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

"We strongly condemn the violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the DRC and the seizure of settlements in North Kivu province by M23 rebel group. We consider unacceptable the spread of threats to further seize other cities and territories of the DRC, which is a gross violation of the norms and principles of international law and the UN Charter," the Ministry stated.

The Ministry also condemned the attacks on the forces of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), which led to the deaths of Mission members, calling these actions outrageous.

Additionally, the Ministry called on all parties to seek ways to cease the hostilities, achieve sustainable peace, and ultimately resolve the armed conflict.

“We support international efforts to resolve the conflict in eastern DRC peacefully, in particular within the framework of the Luanda process, which is being mediated by Angola,” the statement said.

The Ministry also noted that Ukraine is ready to actively contribute to providing humanitarian aid, including in the field of food security, as well as to help mitigate the consequences of the armed conflict.