Statement by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on the extension of the DRC Sanctions Mandate by the Sanctions Committee

Susan E. Rice
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations 
U.S. Mission to the United Nations 

New York, NY

November 29, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

I welcome today’s renewal by the UN Security Council of sanctions related to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The new sanctions resolution maintains the existing arms embargo on non-state actors operating in the DRC, as well as the travel ban and asset freeze for individuals linked to illegal armed groups, to the obstruction of humanitarian assistance, to the illicit trade of natural resources and to violations of human rights including sexual and gender based violence. These sanctions can play an important role in bringing stability to the DRC and holding accountable those who direct the massacre of civilians, recruit child soldiers, or use rape as a weapon of war.

I also welcome the Security Council's unprecedented decision to support new due diligence guidelines for individuals and companies who import, process, or consume Congolese mineral products. If implemented, these guidelines could significantly limit the illicit minerals trade, which has for many years fueled violence in the DRC.

The United States appreciates the work of the DRC Sanctions Committee and the UN's DRC Group of Experts, and we will continue to support targeted sanctions designations against actors whose behavior undermines progress toward peace and stability in Congo and the region.

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