The Democratic Republic of Congo is home to more than 20 million people who are victims of a multifaceted humanitarian crisis, the Senate President said Monday at the podium of the 151st ^General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva, Switzerland, according to a statement.

"Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde welcomed the fact that the 151st ^General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union is taking place around humanitarian issues in times of crisis, especially for the DRC, his country, which is home to more than 20 million people who are victims of the multifaceted humanitarian crisis," reads this document from the communications unit of the Upper House of the Congolese Parliament.

"Currently, of the 310 million people in need of humanitarian assistance worldwide, approximately 21.2 million reside in the Democratic Republic of Congo," revealed Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde.

In his speech, according to the document, the President of the Congolese Senate highlighted the DRC's efforts to restore peace and called on parliamentarians around the world to focus attention on the humanitarian crisis affecting the eastern part of the country.

The source reports that Senator Sama Lukonde also outlined the various processes in which the DRC is engaged for the return of peace. He also did not fail to highlight the outstretched hand of the President of the Republic, Félix Tshisekedi, who is part of a dynamic to block the road to any obstacle to the return to peace, while calling on Rwanda and its AFC/M23 proxies to respect the territorial integrity of the DRC.

"Several peace initiatives are underway to address the security situation and its humanitarian consequences in the eastern part of the country. These include the Luanda, Nairobi, Washington, and Doha processes, for which the Congolese Parliament is requesting sustained support from the Inter-Parliamentary Union," he said.

Supporting humanitarian action in times of crisis

A view of participants at the Geneva Conference

The theme of these meetings: " Ensuring compliance with humanitarian standards and supporting humanitarian action in times of crisis ", which brings together several parliamentarians from around the world, reinforces the efforts of the DRC, a country shaken by an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, caused by the Rwandan aggression under the cover of its AFC-M23 proxies.

For Sama Lukonde, this issue is of particular importance for the DRC, which has been facing recurring crises for more than three decades, including persistent armed conflicts, repeated violations of fundamental rights, mass population displacements and various forms of violence against civilians, particularly women and girls.

The President of the Congolese Senate requested the support of IPU parliamentarians in the various processes underway to restore peace in the country. For him, the first response to humanitarian crises is the return to peace in the world.

Still within the framework of the efforts for the return to peace in the DRC, Sama Lukonde mentioned the " outstretched hand " of the President of the Republic, Félix Tshisekedi, to the Rwandan President, Paul Kagame. For him, this is a gesture of bravery which testifies to the will of the DRC to create the conditions for a lasting peace in the region.

"The Democratic Republic of Congo remains resolutely committed to peace. This is evidenced by the outstretched hand of His Excellency the President of the Republic. This aims to block any obstacle to the return to peace while calling for the responsibility of all actors, including Rwanda and the AFC/M23, to respect the territorial integrity of our country, particularly through the withdrawal of uninvited armed troops and the cessation of hostilities in accordance with the processes underway," declared the number 1 of the Congolese Senate.

"There is no need to recall here that the return to peace would allow, among other things, families separated by the humanitarian crisis to reunite. And, parliamentarians from the occupied zones to return to their respective electoral districts," he said.

Sama Lukonde finally highlighted the efforts made by the DRC to honour its commitments in terms of respecting humanitarian standards.

"My country has ratified the main international instruments relating to international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols, as well as other related conventions. National legislative and regulatory measures complement these commitments and aim to better organize the humanitarian response," he said.

The 151st ^General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union will conclude on Wednesday, October 23. This meeting, which is part of parliamentary diplomacy, is another opportunity for the DRC delegation to make the voices of the millions of victims of the horrors of war in the east of the country heard.