Article: The international meeting in Goma to resolve the security crisis in eastern DRC
The security situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has long been a major concern, leading to numerous conflicts and forced population displacements. With the aim of finding a peaceful resolution to this crisis, an international meeting was held in Goma on July 12, in the presence of Uhuru Kenyatta, facilitator appointed by the East African Community (EAC).
The meeting brought together several key players, including the head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), as well as representatives of the United States, France, Belgium and the Switzerland as observers. The objective of this meeting was to foster dialogue and find lasting solutions for the Congolese people and the DRC as a whole.
Uhuru Kenyatta stressed in his opening speech that this meeting was a continuation of the Nairobi process, and he hoped that the Congolese would be able to dialogue among themselves to reach a peaceful resolution. Many regional and international actors have already suggested that political dialogue is crucial to resolving the crisis in the east of the country. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, during his visit to Kinshasa last week, made clear that negotiation was the key to ending the crisis. The European Union also stressed the importance of political dialogue, stressing that military options would only prolong the conflict and aggravate the suffering of the population.
A key point of the meeting was the issue of pre-cantonment and cantonment of M23 fighters. The Congolese government remains optimistic about progress on the pre-cantonment issue. Deputy Prime Minister of Defense Jean Pierre Bemba, who participated in the meeting by videoconference from Kinshasa, hopes that this meeting will make it possible to advance the question of pre-cantonment.
Although the M23 continues to claim that it is not involved in the cantonment process, the Congolese government claims to have fulfilled its part of the bargain by providing viable land at Rumangabo, one of the main military bases in the east of the country. This base had been conquered by the M23 in November 2022, then handed over to the regional force of the EAC in January of this year.
In view of the elections scheduled for December, Uhuru Kenyatta has called for facilitating the return of internally displaced people so that they can participate in the polls. He also stressed the importance of an inclusive and peaceful election for the Congolese people..
This meeting in Goma follows the one in Nairobi held on June 30, during which a cessation of hostilities by the M23 and the start of operations for the pre-cantonment, cantonment and demobilization of troops were decided. .
Resolving the security crisis in eastern DRC remains a major challenge, but this international meeting is an important step towards a peaceful and lasting solution. Ongoing discussions and efforts by regional and international actors are key to achieving long-awaited stability and security in this part of the country