UN / DRC MONUSCO

STORY: UN / DRC MONUSCO
TRT: 03:42
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 28 SEPTEMBER 2023, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE - NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior UN Headquarters

28 SEPTEMBER 2023, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Wide shot, DRC Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula at the Council dais
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO):
“MONUSCO’s progressive departure from the DRC has been underway for some time. During his address to the UN General Assembly, President Tshisekedi called for the acceleration of this process, starting from December 23. With this request in mind, I call on the Council to express itself clearly on the recommendations set out in the 2 August report of the Secretary-General on the future of the MONUSCO.”
5. Wide shot, Council
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO):
“On 15 September, the Congolese authorities endorsed the revised transition plan for MONUSCO. This is an important step towards accelerating the departure of the Mission, while ensuring that the process is conducted in a gradual and responsible manner. We will now work jointly with the Congolese authorities towards the implementation of this plan, while continuing to deliver on the mandate provided by this Council.”
7. Wide shot, Council
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO):
“Regrettably, the Mission continues to be targeted by mis and disinformation, as well as threats and attacks. I deplore the killing of civilians by national security forces on 30 of August in Goma. I am hopeful that the trials currently underway will provide justice to the bereaved families of the victims, including one police officer, and shed light on the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.”
9. Wide shot, Council
10. SOUNDBITE (French) Christophe Lutundula Apala Pen'apala, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC):
“This tactical reorganization proposed by the Congolese Government for MONUSCO’s withdrawal is aimed at the following objectives. First, to defuse ever increasing tensions between MONUSCO and the civilian populations and to avoid a repetition of the sad experiences of a hastily enforced and sometimes violent withdrawal of UN troops.”
11. Wide shot, Council President
16. SOUNDBITE (French) Christophe Lutundula Apala Pen'apala, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC):
“Our utmost priority is restoring peace and security throughout the country. And this is an opportunity for me to affirm that it is time for the UN - and particularly Security Council - to draw lessons from its interventions in Africa and to change the paradigm for its peace missions on our continent.”
17. Wide shot, Council, Council
18. Wide shot, Keita at the Security Council stakeout podium
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO):
“You heard the Minister talking about the structure. So, about that structure, there is a prime minister and myself, who still have to meet and to discuss the content of what has been proposed by the technical level, which is basically, what are the conditions, when I say conditions, what are the benchmarks that needs to be implemented for a withdrawal and in a progressive and responsible manner for MONUSCO.”
20. Zoom out, Keita walks away

STORYLINE:

The Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Bintou Keita, today (28 Sep) called on the Security Council “to express itself clearly on the recommendations set out in the 2 August report of the Secretary-General on the future of the MONUSCO.”

Keita noted that the Congolese authorities have already endorsed the revised transition plan for MONUSCO and said, “this is an important step towards accelerating the departure of the Mission, while ensuring that the process is conducted in a gradual and responsible manner.”

She stressed that MONUSCO “will now work jointly with the Congolese authorities towards the implementation of this plan, while continuing to deliver on the mandate provided by this Council.”

Keita said, “regrettably, the Mission continues to be targeted by mis and disinformation, as well as threats and attacks” and deplored the killing of civilians by national security forces on 30 of August in Goma.

The DRC’s Foreign Minister, Christophe Lutundula told the Council that the tactical reorganization proposed by the Congolese Government for MONUSCO’s withdrawal, is aimed firstly, “to defuse ever increasing tensions between MONUSCO and the civilian populations and to avoid a repetition of the sad experiences of a hastily enforced and sometimes violent withdrawal of UN troops.”

Lutundula said, “our utmost priority is restoring peace and security throughout the country. And this is an opportunity for me to affirm that it is time for the UN - and particularly Security Council - to draw lessons from its interventions in Africa and to change the paradigm for its peace missions on our continent.”

Talking to reporters outside the Council, Keita said she will meet Lutundula “to discuss the content of what has been proposed by the technical level, which is basically, what are the conditions, when I say conditions, what are the benchmarks that needs to be implemented for a withdrawal and in a progressive and responsible manner for MONUSCO.”