The East African Community Extraordinary Summit was held in Kinshasa last weekend. The Heads of State of the region discussed security issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and took important decisions to promote peace and stability in the region.
One of the highlights of the meeting was the extension of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) for six months. The SOFA will consolidate the gains made by the East African Regional Force in restoring peace in eastern DRC. Heads of state in the region have also strongly condemned ceasefire violations and called for action to stop them in eastern DRC.
The summit stressed the importance of keeping areas liberated by M23 and other armed groups, overseeing the orderly withdrawal of M23 and other armed groups, protecting civilians and supporting the return of internally displaced people to areas. released. Among other decisions taken, the East African Regional Force will work to verify that the Rumangabo camp is suitable for the pre-cantonment of M23 and other armed groups.
Furthermore, the summit requested the DRC and South Sudan to engage in bilateral discussions to resolve the issue of negative forces at their common border. The summit also took note of the swearing in of two Deputy Secretaries General of the EAC and Judge Ignace-René Kayembe Kasanda of the DRC and Mrs. Anita Mugeni of Rwanda as judges of the Court of Justice of the EAC.
However, it is important to note that the Minister of Regional Integration, Antipas Mbusa, had given a categorical refusal to Rwanda as part of the team responsible for verifying the future site of the pre-cantonment of M23 elements in Rumangabo , in Rutshuru territory, north of Goma.
The meeting also brought together opposition leaders who called for citizen mobilization ahead of the December 2023 elections. Elections are still one of the big challenges in Africa and the DRC faces many challenges, including contested elections, suppressed protests and controversial proposals.
In sum, this extraordinary summit of the East African Community was marked by a series of important decisions to promote peace and stability in the region, particularly in the DRC.