Content_paragraphs:  I am concerned by the increase in armed group activity in the eastern provinces,
  
  in particular by ADF in North Kivu and Ituri, which has caused multiple civilian
  
  casualties and has had a disproportionate impact on women and children. I am also
  
  concerned by the continuing intercommunal violence in Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu
  
  and Tanganyika. I call on the Congolese authorities to take concrete steps to address
  
  the root causes of violence in these areas, including by combating hate speech,
  
  addressing the illegal exploitation of natural resources and trafficking in small arms,
  
  and providing alternative economic opportunities to ex-combatants and their
  
  communities through the swift implementation of decentralized programmes for
  
  disarmament, demobilization, community reintegration and stabilization.