Statement by Mr Aivis Kļavinskis, Political Coordinator of the Permanent Mission of Latvia to the UN, at the UN Security Council briefing on the situation concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo
26 June 2026
Thank you, Madam President.
I thank Special Representative Swan for his comprehensive briefing today. Latvia also pays tribute to uniformed personnel and civilian staff of MONUSCO for their work in very difficult circumstances.
Madam President, I will make three points today.
First, we remain deeply concerned by the troubling humanitarian and security situation in the eastern DRC. We strongly condemn the violence and human rights abuses perpetrated by armed groups in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. While they are numerous, we want to emphasize that the gruesome and extending reach of ADF’s attacks increases concerns about the group’s threat to civilians, as highlighted at today’s briefing.
The Ebola outbreak adds a new layer of complexity. Containing an outbreak is that much harder when insecurity continues to drive displacement. When mistrust - fuelled by misinformation and disinformation - reigns. When humanitarian actors face restricted access, and are met with intimidation and violence on their missions.
We call on all parties to comply with international humanitarian law and ensure safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access. We commend the support of MONUSCO, UN Country Team, and other humanitarian actors to the Ebola response. Community engagement, national political commitment, regional cooperation and international support are needed to break the chains of transmission.
Similar ingredients are necessary to break the cycle of violence and impunity. This is my second point. Latvia supports all efforts to achieve lasting peace in the eastern DRC. We commend the mediation efforts by the United States, Qatar and the African Union, as well as support provided by Switzerland. We urge all parties to comply with Security Council resolutions 2773 and 2808, and to implement their obligations and commitments in good faith. Tomorrow marks one year since the signing of the Washington Peace Agreement between the DRC and Rwanda - a significant achievement. Yet, while the situation on the ground has changed, it has not substantially improved. Once again, we call on all parties to translate commitments into tangible progress. We urge Rwanda to cease its support to M23 and withdraw its troops from the DRC, and we also call for the neutralization of the FDLR, and the cessation of all support to this and other armed groups.
Every delay, broken commitment, or escalation can be measured in human lives – lost, traumatized, or displaced. The conflict’s growing technological sophistication, including the use of advanced weaponry, increases protection concerns and underlines the obligation to comply with international humanitarian law. The gap between commitments and realities on the battlefield needs to be closed.
We therefore urge all parties to remain fully engaged in the peace processes and to work towards a permanent, verifiable ceasefire.
This brings me to my third and final point. We welcome MONUSCO’s support to the operationalization of the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus (EJVM+). We look forward to seeing the first ceasefire verification mission take place and urge all parties to ensure the necessary conditions for MONUSCO to play an effective role. It is also important that the Mission is adequately resourced to implement its priority tasks, especially in the current challenging circumstances, ensuring sustained engagement and effective support for ceasefire implementation.
Madam President,
To conclude, allow me to reiterate Latvia’s commitment to the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and to peace and prosperity in the Great Lakes Region.
I thank you.