Antonio Guterres released his preliminary report on the situation in the DRC. This document, which covers the period from December 1, 2022, to March 20, 2023, describes an alarming situation, particularly in three eastern provinces of the DRC, with a sharp increase in violence perpetrated mainly by the Allied Democratic Forces ( ADF), the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (Codeco) and the March 23 Movement (M23).
In the province of North Kivu, the security situation has deteriorated considerably, particularly in the Petit Nord. The Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) returns to the M23 offensive and advances figures that further overwhelm the armed movement. For example, he says that between December 1 and February 15, the M23 allegedly killed 43 civilians, including two women and three children, and injured 21 others.
Antonio Guterres draws attention to the consequences of this conflict on other crises experienced by neighboring provinces in North Kivu and underlines the fact that M23 activism has had an impact on the dynamics of armed groups in South Kivu. Some armed movements in the territory of Kalehe have sought to reactivate themselves, to join the fight against the M23, he illustrates.
The UN Secretary-General once again calls on this movement to respect the ceasefire, to create the conditions for its total and effective withdrawal from all areas, especially in rural areas. He also said he was alarmed by the escalation of tensions between the DRC and Rwanda.
Despite the deployment of several foreign troops in the region, Antonio Gutteres encourages the two parties to settle their differences through dialogue and existing conflict resolution mechanisms.