Secretary Antony J. Blinken met yesterday with Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi to discuss the dire security and humanitarian situation in eastern DRC. Secretary Blinken expressed his condolences for the lives lost in Kishishe and concern for the hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals.
Secretary Blinken and President Tshisekedi agreed on the importance of immediate implementation of the November 23 communiqué following the Luanda Mini-Summit on Peace and Security, namely a cessation of hostilities, the M23 armed group’s withdrawal, an end to state support to armed groups, condemnation of hate speech, and the resumption of consultations between the DRC government and domestic armed groups through the Nairobi Process.
The Secretary encouraged the Government of the DRC to speak out against hate speech and urged that it intensify efforts to condemn this unacceptable rhetoric. The Secretary reinforced that any authorized cross-border military operations, bilateral and multilateral, should be deconflicted with MONUSCO and conducted in line with existing UN sanctions resolutions. He commended President Tshisekedi’s willingness to engage in continued dialogue and his commitment to bringing peace and stability to the Congolese people.
