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Security Council Security Council Situation Report 5 November 2018
Situation Report on Matters Pertaining to International Peace and Security
This update complements the brief background notes already published in the Issues at AMUN handbook. Please read the Issues at AMUN book before turning to this update.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo worsens daily as the country continues to struggle with violence from armed conflict between the government’s army and various rebel groups, which control large portions of the country and its resources. Different rebel groups are also intermittently fighting each other, and sexual violence continues to be disproportionately high in the areas of conflict.
Ongoing regional violence threatens the lives of Congolese citizens and aid workers daily. Médecins Sans Frontières note they are treating hundreds of rape victims per month, with most victims reporting armed men as the perpetrators. Almost 100,000 displaced Congolese children and over 200,000 adults have been expelled from Angola since 1 October, provoking concerns about disease and increased inter-ethnic violence in Congo’s Kasai Province as migrants flood the region.
Attacks by armed groups in North Kivu and Ituri provinces are hampering response efforts to the Ebola crisis. The Congolese health ministry states that Ebola response teams are being attacked approximately four times per week, as they struggle to stop the spread of the virus. The violence is so severe that several Ebola experts have been pulled from the country to ensure their safety.
On 30 October, the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2439 calling for a halt to the attacks. The Council drew attention to the difficulty associated with providing aid to a region under siege; over 200 cases have been confirmed and at least 120 people have died. Concerns have also been expressed about the virus spreading beyond Congo to the neighboring nations of Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and Burundi.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea & the Republic of Korea
The Korean Peninsula has seen massive shifts in military and border policies this month. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea have removed an estimated 800,000 landmines buried along the border and announced on 22 October that both nations would begin removing guns and guard posts from Panmunjom, also known as the Joint Security Area (JSA). The JSA is the only remaining location on the border where military forces from both nations face one another.
While the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has made historic strides toward peace with the Republic of Korea, Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s foreign ministry have expressed frustration with continued sanctions by the Security Council and the United States over the nation’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Little progress has been made between Washington D.C. and Pyongyang following the historic summit between the countries’ leaders in June of this year, where Supreme Leader Jong-un signed a non-binding and vague agreement regarding denuclearization. The poverty-stricken regime released a statement on 2 November that warned the United States to lift its severe sanctions or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will strongly consider returning to a state policy centered around the construction of its nuclear arsenal.
Bibliography:
Al Jazeera (2018). North Korea warns of return to nuclear policy. 4 November.
Aung, Thu Thu & Jewis, Simon (2018). Myanmar by-election results ‘a lesson’ for Suu Kyi’s party. Al Jazeera. 4 November.
BBC News (2018). Koreas to remove guns and guard posts from Panmunjom ‘truce town’. 22 October.
Schlein, Lisa (2018). Congo-Kinshasa: Children Deported From Angola Face Humanitarian Crisis. All Africa. 1 November.
Wessels, John (2018). U.N. Demands Immediate End to Armed Attacks in Ebola-Impacted Areas of Congo. Time. 30 October.
UN Documents:
United Nations Security Council (2018). Resolution 2439. 30 October. S/RES/2439
Situation Report on Matters Pertaining to International Peace and Security
This update complements the brief background notes already published in the Issues at AMUN handbook. Please read the Issues at AMUN book before turning to this update.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo worsens daily as the country continues to struggle with violence from armed conflict between the government’s army and various rebel groups, which control large portions of the country and its resources. Different rebel groups are also intermittently fighting each other, and sexual violence continues to be disproportionately high in the areas of conflict.
Ongoing regional violence threatens the lives of Congolese citizens and aid workers daily. Médecins Sans Frontières note they are treating hundreds of rape victims per month, with most victims reporting armed men as the perpetrators. Almost 100,000 displaced Congolese children and over 200,000 adults have been expelled from Angola since 1 October, provoking concerns about disease and increased inter-ethnic violence in Congo’s Kasai Province as migrants flood the region.
Attacks by armed groups in North Kivu and Ituri provinces are hampering response efforts to the Ebola crisis. The Congolese health ministry states that Ebola response teams are being attacked approximately four times per week, as they struggle to stop the spread of the virus. The violence is so severe that several Ebola experts have been pulled from the country to ensure their safety.
On 30 October, the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2439 calling for a halt to the attacks. The Council drew attention to the difficulty associated with providing aid to a region under siege; over 200 cases have been confirmed and at least 120 people have died. Concerns have also been expressed about the virus spreading beyond Congo to the neighboring nations of Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and Burundi.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea & the Republic of Korea
The Korean Peninsula has seen massive shifts in military and border policies this month. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea have removed an estimated 800,000 landmines buried along the border and announced on 22 October that both nations would begin removing guns and guard posts from Panmunjom, also known as the Joint Security Area (JSA). The JSA is the only remaining location on the border where military forces from both nations face one another.
While the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has made historic strides toward peace with the Republic of Korea, Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s foreign ministry have expressed frustration with continued sanctions by the Security Council and the United States over the nation’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Little progress has been made between Washington D.C. and Pyongyang following the historic summit between the countries’ leaders in June of this year, where Supreme Leader Jong-un signed a non-binding and vague agreement regarding denuclearization. The poverty-stricken regime released a statement on 2 November that warned the United States to lift its severe sanctions or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will strongly consider returning to a state policy centered around the construction of its nuclear arsenal.
Bibliography:
Al Jazeera (2018). North Korea warns of return to nuclear policy. 4 November.
Aung, Thu Thu & Jewis, Simon (2018). Myanmar by-election results ‘a lesson’ for Suu Kyi’s party. Al Jazeera. 4 November.
BBC News (2018). Koreas to remove guns and guard posts from Panmunjom ‘truce town’. 22 October.
Schlein, Lisa (2018). Congo-Kinshasa: Children Deported From Angola Face Humanitarian Crisis. All Africa. 1 November.
Wessels, John (2018). U.N. Demands Immediate End to Armed Attacks in Ebola-Impacted Areas of Congo. Time. 30 October.
UN Documents:
United Nations Security Council (2018). Resolution 2439. 30 October. S/RES/2439