The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) recently urged the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to accelerate the implementation of the Disarmament, Demobilization and Community Reintegration and Stabilization Program (P-DDRCS) , an essential element for the settlement of the conflict in the east of the country. This instruction emerged from the 10th extraordinary summit held on June 2, 2023 in Luanda under the aegis of Angolan President Joao Manuel Lourenço.
According to the press release published by the communication unit of the DRC Presidency, “the Summit underlined the urgent need to reactivate the humanitarian program for people displaced to their places of origin, as well as the possibility of voter registration in areas previously occupied by the M23, with a view to supporting the ongoing electoral process in the DRC. The Summit also calls for the reopening of all access routes and urged humanitarian agencies to assist the internally displaced”.
In addition to this directive, the Summit also instructed the Ministers of External Relations/Foreign Affairs of Angola, DRC, Rwanda and Burundi, as the current Chairman of the East African Community ( CAE) supported by the Ad-hoc Verification Mechanism, to meet periodically to jointly assess the progress made in the implementation of the commitments arising from the Luanda Roadmap and the Joint Action Plan for the Pacification of the Region East of the DRC and the Normalization of Political-Diplomatic Relations between the DRC and Rwanda.
Indeed, the worrying security situation in eastern DRC, in particular the occupation of the territories of Rutshuru and Masisi in the province of North Kivu by the M23 rebels, supported by Rwanda, prevented the Independent National Electoral Commission to enlist the population of these areas for the general elections scheduled for December 2023. This was confirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, which instead maintained the seats obtained by these territories in past elections.
However, the Congolese government has promised to do everything possible to restore security in eastern DRC in order to allow the populations of this region to register and actively participate in the elections. Peter Kazadi, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior, Security and Customary Affairs, notably gave this assurance after the admissibility of the bill on the distribution of seats in the National Assembly.
However, police repression and the risk of internet shutdowns in strong opposition areas are fueling fears about the holding of fair and just elections in the DRC. Opposition leaders such as Fayulu, Matata, Katumbi and Sesanga have denounced the bias of the Independent National Electoral Commission, calling for a more impartial composition.
Overall, it is essential that the DRC government, supported by the international community, adopt effective measures to restore security in the east of the country. It is also important that the Independent National Electoral Commission ensures free and fair participation of all citizens in view of the elections, thus guaranteeing stability and democracy in the country.