Speech Delivered by Commissioner Lahbib at the European Parliament on behalf of EU High Representative Kallas on Violence in the Great Lakes Region

For decades now, the Great Lakes region, and particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been plagued by a violent conflict. Women and children are its first victims. Rape is weaponised, as underlined by MSF last year.

The international community cannot remain silent on this appalling situation. The EU is not silent.

The EU stands with the victims of this horrific conflict, as well as with an unquestionable respect of the UN Charter, notably the respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity.

As a steady and reliable partner to all countries of the region, we want to weigh even more on the conflict towards its peaceful resolution.

We also are strong supporters of the Washington Process on peace negotiations between DRC and Rwanda, as well as the Doha Process between DRC and M23.

Multilateralism is key to reach peace. We strongly support the implementation by all parties of UNSC resolutions 2773 and 2808, and of the commitments taken in Washington and Doha Agreements.

We welcome the signature in Doha of an agreement to operationalise the ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism. The planned deployment of MONUSCO in Uvira and South Kivu to help monitor the situation after the withdrawal of M23 will be key.

This contributes to the implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions. However, an inclusive inter-congolese dialogue would be an essential driver for durable peace.

On 29 January, together with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of our EU Member States, we addressed the situation in the Great lakes and particularly in the DRC.

Together, we decided to intensify our collective high-level political engagement and to consider options to further increase the pressure on the parties involved, including by working on some tangible deliverables through humanitarian diplomacy

The EUSR for the Great Lakes is also actively engaged on the field, continuing his work to help find solutions to this conflict.

But we also are a close partner to the African Union. Strongly supporting the principle of African solutions to African problems, we reiterate our political and financial support to the African mediation efforts.

Last December, we condemned in the strongest terms the M23 rebel group seizure of the Uvira, just after the signature of the Washington Accords between the DRC and Rwanda.

The HRVP reached out immediately to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Rwanda, the DRC and Burundi, and also instructed our local Ambassadors to call for de-escalation and convey our support to the victims.

As the largest donor, the Commission has already made available EUR 129.5 million for humanitarian aid to the Great Lakes region in 2025. We intend to do even more, including through support to refugees and internally displaced persons.

I will visit the region next week, marking our strong commitment to contribute to end this horrific conflict.

As Team Europe, we have invested on numerous Global Gateway initiatives and projects. This provides a solid foundation to scale-up investments, develop economic incentives for peace and create positive interdependencies between the countries of the region, once a cease-fire that holds will be in place.

We will also strengthen support to traceability of critical minerals in the region, to bring a gradual shift from trafficking to trade, in line with the EU Great Lakes Strategy.

Improved traceability is a pre-condition for the development of regional value chains in the mineral sector and to prevent mineral supply chains from funding armed groups or indirectly contributing to human rights abuses.

Our compass is the respect of international law by all parties, their implementation in good faith of the commitments made, the respect of the principles of the UN Charter, justice and accountability.

Defending international law matters even more in time of geopolitical uncertainty. The EU can make a difference by promoting a peaceful resolution of conflicts, everywhere.

I thank the European Parliament for its active engagement on the situation in the Great Lakes region, as shown by this discussion and the one held in December.