UN Security Council condemns M23 at Goma

The UN Security Council, acting under the enforcement provisions of the Charter of the United Nations on Wednesday strongly condemned the M23 and all its attacks on the civilian population, MONUSCO peacekeepers and humanitarian actors.

The Council also strongly condemned the M23 abuses of human rights, including summary executions, sexual and gender based violence and large scale recruitment and use of child soldiers.

It further condemned the attempts by the M23 to establish an illegitimate parallel administration and to undermine State authority of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and reiterated that those responsible for crimes and human rights abuses will be held accountable.

The Council demanded that that the M23 and other armed groups, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), Mai Mai militias, the Forces Nationales de Liberation (FNL) and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) cease immediately all forms of violence and other destabilizing activities and release immediately all child soldiers and permanently lay down their arms.

The Council also expressed deep concern at reports indicating that external support continues to be provided to the M23, including through troop reinforcement, tactical advice and the supply of equipment, causing a significant increase of the military abilities of the M23, and it reiterated its demand that any and all outside support to the M23 cease immediately.

The Council expressed its intention to consider additional targeted sanctions against the leadership of the M23; those providing external support to the M23, and those acting in violation of the sanctions regime and the arms embargo.