UN SC renews sanctions regime on Congo

The UN Security Council on Thursday decided to renew the sanctions regime concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) until July 1,2025, and the mandate of the corresponding Group of Experts until Aug. 1, 2025.

The council, unanimously adopting resolution 2738, decided to renew measures relating to arms, finances and travel relating to the DRC until July 1, 2025.

It also renewed its previous reaffirmation that the measures on arms no longer apply to the supply, sale or transfer of arms and related material, and the provision of any assistance, advice or training related to military activities to the DRC government.

By other terms of the text, the council decided to extend until Aug. 1, 2025 the mandate of the Group of Experts assisting the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533.

The council further requested the UN secretary-general to take the necessary administrative measures to re-establish the Group of Experts, and reaffirmed the importance of ensuring the safety and security of its members; and requested the Group of Experts to provide to the Security Council a midterm report no later than Dec. 30, 2024, and a final report no later than June 15, 2025.

The resolution also recalled the secretary-general's commitment that the United Nations will do everything possible to ensure that the perpetrators of the killing of the two members of the Group of Experts and the four Congolese nationals accompanying them are brought to justice, and stressed the importance of a continued deployment of the Follow-on Mechanism to the DRC to assist with the national investigation.