On June 3, the Tenth Extraordinary Summit of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region was held in Luanda. The purpose of this summit was to discuss the security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and the crisis in Sudan. Although the Heads of State and Heads of Delegation present did not issue a final communiqué, principles and recommendations were reiterated.
Thus, the summit reaffirmed the need to execute the Luanda joint roadmap adopted in November 2023 and adjusted in Addis Ababa in February 2023. The participants also supported the deployment of Angolan and SADC troops in the East of the DRC to secure the pre-cantonment and cantonment of members of the M23 rebel movement as well as their disarmament.
The summit also recalled the obligation imposed on members of the M23 to withdraw from the occupied zones for a pre-cantonment in Rumangabo, before their cantonment in Maniema and their integration into the Disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and community reintegration program and stabilization (PDRRCS).
Finally, a quadripartite coordination meeting is scheduled for June 23 in Luanda, with the participation of the East African Community, the CIRGL, SADC and ECCAS under the leadership of the African Union.
This meeting remains an important step for security in the Great Lakes region. However, it is still early to measure its impact on the ground. Expectations remain high for the effective implementation of the roadmap