Topic: 2024-The Situation in Rwanda
Country: Ecuador
Delegate Name: Madelynn Fraaza
I.
The resurgence of the M23 movement has exacerbated tensions between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, leaving an even more dire humanitarian crisis within the Great Lakes region than we have previously seen. This threat has caused the exploitation of natural resources to fund armed groups, the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, and large governmental strains on neighboring countries that are already without strong leadership. Ecuador is deeply concerned for the humanitarian safety of citizens in these areas, and believes that this is one of the most urgent signed to reinstate diplomacy within these regions and their allies.
II.
Ecuador, while wanting to find the best and most peaceful solution, believes that a key point here is to respect the rule of law in each individual country. We as a whole can advocate for inclusive diplomacy and encourage countries such as Rwanda and DRC to work with us, but we must not directly intervene otherwise. Ecuador recognizes the key roles that the African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the United Nations security mission have played in attempting to stabilize the situation in Rwanda, and encourages the rest of the committee to keep going down a path of enhanced cooperation. Additionally, Ecuador would like to see additional mechanisms in place in the North Kivu area to prevent exploiting illicit resources and maintain state sovereignty. The humanitarian needs of these countries have also grown exponentially since the resurgence in FDLR and M23 inter-country attacks, and we need to increase the aid we send to displaced demographics and the refugees these military groups create.
III.
To keep all parties at the table and willing to negotiate, Ecuador suggests that the UN Security Council appoints a specialized Envoy specifically for the region these conflicts take place in. This would allow the facilitation of continued negotiations between the militant groups in the DRC and Rwanda. Additionally, we should reference the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region’s Certification Mechanism and scale is as needed to ensure that countries can ethically souce their resources, rather than solely using those that come North Kivu. This would lower the amount of resource pilfering militant groups engage in to self fund their arms and facilities. Ecuador believes that part of the scalar should involve tracing supply chains through the area for increased accountability, which would also help in the humanitarian issue of worker exploitation. On the topic of humanitarian efforts, Ecuador also advocates for independent investigations into human rights violations committed by all parties in the conflict to encourage accountability, and additional funding to help communities displaced as a result of the international conflicts. Ecuador also supports the continuation of MONUSCO and SAMIDRC, but would also be in favor of additional cross-border observation mechanisms to monitor the movement of armed groups and prevent further escalations.
Ecuador is committed to fostering international collaboration to address the conflict in North Kivu and its regional implications. We believe that only through inclusive diplomacy, strengthened mechanisms for resource governance, and unwavering support for human rights can sustainable peace and stability be achieved in the Great Lakes region. Ecuador urges all member states of the UNSC to work collectively in addressing this crisis, ensuring a future of safety and security for the region.
