Speaker urges 'silence the guns' as M23 offensive fuels humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC

Speaker urged regional and international actors to "silence the guns" in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as summits in Tanzania and Addis Ababa prepare to address what the speaker described as an offensive by the M23 supported by the Rwandan Defense Forces.

"Thousands of people have been killed, including women and children, and hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes in the Eastern DRC," the Speaker said, describing widespread human rights abuses including "sexual and gender based violence, forced recruitment, and the disruption of life saving aids." The speaker also paid tribute to MONUSCO peacekeepers killed in the violence.

The speaker said the humanitarian situation around Goma is "perilous," with sites that previously hosted displaced people looted, destroyed or abandoned, and with healthcare facilities overwhelmed and basic services — including schools, water, electricity, phone lines and Internet — severely limited. The speaker warned the conflict in South Kivu risks "engulfing the entire region."

The remarks called for respect for the Democratic Republic of the Congo's sovereignty and territorial integrity and urged adherence to "international human rights law and international humanitarian law." The speaker said there is "no military solution" and urged parties to honor commitments under the peace, security, and cooperation framework for the DRC and the region and for mediation to begin.

The speaker noted two upcoming meetings that will focus on the crisis: a summit in Tanzania involving leaders from the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community, and a summit-level meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa. The speaker closed by asking for questions from the press.