‘Deadly environment’, ‘political and social’ obstacles hamper fight against Ebola outbreak, Security Council hears

Leila Zerrougui (on screen), Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, briefs the Security Council. , UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe | enlarge

The problem of eradicating Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo is not just a medical issue but is also related to “a variety of political and social factors,” the head of the United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo told the Security Council on Wednesday.

Leila Zerrougui, UN Special Representative and Head of the UN Stabilization Mission (MONUSCO), said: “Community mistrust in the response to the epidemic remains high, and armed elements including the Allied Democratic Forces and the Mai-Mai have created a “lethal environment” for those fighting the virus, “even being threatened and killed by armed groups.”

She said the Ebola outbreak has now “claimed more than 1,700 lives” and recent isolated cases in Goma and the Ugandan border “have heightened concerns about the spread of the disease beyond the Beni and Butembo regions.”

This prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to officially declare the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern last week. Ms. Zerrougui also stressed the urgent need to provide funding for other epidemics and humanitarian crises in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“For example, the measles outbreak has killed more than 2,000 people since the beginning of the year, more than even the Ebola outbreak,” she said.

“Displacement and protection threats”

She informed the Council that MONUSCO had closed several field offices in areas where armed conflict no longer existed, which “will allow us to focus our resources … on strengthening State institutions” and protecting civilians in “areas where conflict and the activities of armed groups continue to have a devastating impact.”

Regarding the security situation, the Special Representative noted that violence had increased in several parts of the eastern part of the country over the past few weeks.

“I am concerned about the current situation in Ituri province, where spoilers are trying to exploit ethnic tensions to incite inter-communal violence,” she said, adding that ADF attacks “continue to cause intolerable harm to civilians.”

She said in Masisi, armed groups had also committed other atrocities, particularly conflict-related sexual violence.

Ms. Zerrougui noted that violence remains the main driver of humanitarian needs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “As a result, the country is currently facing a simultaneous emergency situation, including large-scale displacement and protection threats”.

More than 350,000 people have been displaced in Ituri province following the resumption of violence, with 733,000 in need of assistance. In South Kivu province, up to 180,000 people have been displaced as a result of increased intercommunal violence and armed group activity.

“One United Nations” approach

The head of the UN Stabilization Mission in Congo (MONUSCO) told the chamber that the mission was taking a “One UN approach” combining different tools at the national and provincial levels to ease social and political tensions.

She said the UN Stabilization Mission in the Congo (MONUSCO) both supports Congolese security forces and fights armed groups itself, while also helping to strengthen the Congolese judicial system and combat impunity.

She said that on the humanitarian front, the UN Stabilization Mission in the Congo is also providing support to the newly appointed UN Ebola Emergency Response Coordinator.

She drew the Council’s attention to the growing number of armed combatants who have expressed their willingness to lay down their arms since President Tshisekedi took office, stressing that “the extensive integration of former combatants into the army and police forces in previous years has only led to their deterioration, the hijacking of security policies by parallel networks and the creation of illegal armed groups.”

“As we continue to plan for the future drawdown and exit of MINUSCA, we still have a lot of work ahead of us,” she said, noting that MINUSCA’s budget challenges “are stretching our resources to the limit.”

Finally, Ms. Zerrougui called for the Security Council’s support, saying it was “critical to the ultimate success of the Mission and its ability to withdraw from the Democratic Republic of the Congo under the right conditions.”

Spoilers are in progress

Mansour Al Otaibi of Kuwait briefed the Council on his recent visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in his capacity as Chair of the 1533 Sanctions Committee on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. During the visit, several interlocutors called for an update and re-calibration of the sanctions list to identify those who threaten the political transition and those who are currently committing serious human rights violations.

During the visit, some committee members noted a “clear discrepancy” between the delegation’s “rhetoric” during its meeting with the outgoing Congolese government and the incoming president’s “positive public statements about MONUSCO’s work.”

Ambassador Otaibi stated that on 9 August, the Committee would inform all Member States of the report of the Group of Experts and his recent visit.