The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a country in Central Africa, has been plagued for several years by armed conflicts which are disturbing peace and security in the east of the country. The Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, has just started a regional tour to meet with the leaders of neighboring countries with the aim of promoting stability and security in the region.
The UN diplomat thus exchanged with Angolan President João Lourenço in Luanda on the joint means that the governments of Angola and the DRC can take to guarantee peace in eastern Congo. In this context, they discussed the implementation of the Luanda Roadmap for the pacification of the DRC.
According to the words of Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Angola is a partner of great importance for this enterprise. They also discussed the possibility of deploying a military contingent of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) in the DRC which will have the task of supervising the quartering of members of the armed group M-23. An initiative that was considered very positive.
The United Nations is ready to contribute to the creation of the necessary conditions for the deployment of the Angolan military contingent.
This tour by Jean-Pierre Lacroix is part of the dynamics of the stabilization of the Great Lakes region in Central Africa. Armed conflicts that lasted nearly two decades there caused millions of deaths and caused massive population displacements. The establishment of a new regional peace system, notably through the assistance of the Congolese authorities and the measures taken by neighboring countries, is an important step towards regional stability and the reconstruction of local communities.