New York, 26 March 2019 – Said Djinnit, the outgoing United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region on 26 March made his last presentation to the Security Council on the situation in the Great Lakes region.

“Since this will be my last briefing as Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, allow me to use this opportunity to take stock of progress and challenges encountered during my tenure,” Mr. Djinnit said. He noted that progress had been made in the region towards peace and stability since the early 2000s, but deplored the continued presence of negative forces in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which perpetuates insecurity and mistrust between some countries. “Allegations of support by governments of the region or their proxies to such groups, and of cross-border interferences continue to threaten cordial relations and stability,” he said.

Following the Special Envoy’s presentation, all members of the Security Council took the floor, and expressed their deep appreciation for his efforts and contributions to peace and stability in the Great Lakes region. They reaffirmed the centrality of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework in efforts to strengthen relations and cooperation between the countries of the region and called on the countries of the region to ensure its full implementation.

As for Mr. Djinnit, the support of both regional and international partners is still crucial for stability in the Great Lakes region. “I sincerely hope that regional and international partners will continue to work closely together to achieve lasting peace and shared prosperity in the Great Lakes region,” he concluded his presentation.

As Mr. Djinnit leaves office at the end of March, he will be succeeded by Mr. Xia Huang of the People’s Republic of China.