Pakistan has urged the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda to demonstrate political will, genuine commitment, and cooperation in implementing UN Security Council resolutions for lasting peace and stability in the region.

Delivering statement during a Security Council briefing on the situation in the DRC, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad urged both parties to return to the path of diplomacy without any preconditions to achieve lasting peace.

He acknowledged the Security Council's role and attention to the situation in the Eastern DRC, where M23's military offensive, with external support, has imperiled peace and security, upended lives of innocent civilians, exacerbated the humanitarian situation, thus drastically increasing the risk of a wider escalation in the Great Lakes region.

Asim Iftikhar Ahmad also expressed Pakistan's appreciation of MONUSCO peacekeepers for their efforts to maintain peace under extremely difficult conditions. He said that MONUSCO should be allowed to fulfill its mandate by lifting all restrictions in their operation, demanding that those obstructing MONUSCO or endangering peacekeepers must be held accountable.

The Pakistan UN Ambassador-designate urged all sides, particularly M23, to engage in good faith, with the facilitators of dialogue process, adding that we believe these African-led and facilitated processes provide the appropriate framework for comprehensively addressing the complex historic and ongoing underlying factors, including the legitimate security concerns of all sides.