Conclusion of presidential visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo
Bern, 16.04.2023 - Rounding off his visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Sunday, 16 April, President Alain Berset met with members of Swiss forces on deployment with the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. President Berset met with Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa on Thursday.
The talks with President Tshisekedi focused on bilateral relations and the security situation in the east of the country. Other themes addressed included the conditions under which economic progress, political stability, security and the well-being of the population in the DRC can best be promoted. Switzerland is involved in the Great Lakes region in a regional programme and undertakes activities in the fields of humanitarian aid, development cooperation and peacebuilding.
Both sides emphasised the potential to further develop bilateral relations and the positive steps achieved, such as the DRC's expressed willingness to adopt the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights for companies in the mining, oil and gas industries. The improved framework conditions for gender equality were also discussed.
President Berset and President Tshisekedi held detailed talks on the security situation and the impact of the conflicts on the population in eastern DRC. Mr Berset expressed his great concern about the humanitarian situation in the region as well as the infrastructural and administrative difficulties encountered by aid organisations. He emphasised Switzerland's support for the regional peace processes and – with regard to the involvement of foreign actors in the conflict area – for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the DRC.
From Switzerland's perspective, MONUSCO plays a crucial role in stabilising the situation and protecting the civilian population. It is one of the UN's largest peacekeeping operations and has been in a transition phase since last December. Switzerland's participation in MONUSCO includes the deployment of police forces and deminers. Mr Berset also stressed that hate speech posed a fundamental threat to any democratic society. Other topics of discussion included cooperation between the two countries within the framework of the UN, the global impact of the war in Ukraine and refugee movements.
Protecting civilians in conflict areas
In Goma, the capital of the province of North Kivu, on Friday 14 April, the focus was in particular on a visit to a camp of internally displaced people. On Saturday, 15 April, talks were held in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, where the president met with representatives from regional authorities and Swiss partner organisations, as well as with Dr Denis Mukwege, the human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner at his Panzi Hospital.All of the talks addressed the question of how to ensure the protection of civilians in conflict areas. President Berset will chair a meeting of the UN Security Council on this topic in mid-May. The trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo is the second in this context following on from the presidential visit to Mozambique in February. The aim in each case is to exchange views with authorities at different levels of government, international organisations and NGOs.
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