The Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State of the East African Community (EAC) was held recently. Among the topical issues discussed, President Félix Tshisekedi was praised for his commitment to peace in the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The heads of state also took the decision to extend the status of forces agreement for six months.
Furthermore, the ceasefire violations were condemned and the Heads of State requested the EAC Regional Force to take measures to prevent them from happening again. Contributing countries have deployed troops to their areas of operation and clashes in eastern DRC have been reduced. The Heads of State also called on the DRC and South Sudan to engage in bilateral discussions to resolve the issue of negative forces on their common border.
The summit also requested the Regional Force to guard and maintain areas liberated from M23 and other armed groups, oversee their withdrawal from remaining occupied areas, protect civilians and support the return of internally displaced persons to liberated areas. . The heads of state also requested the regional force to work with the heads of the defense forces, with MONUSCO and other stakeholders to visit and verify that the Rumangabo camp is suitable for the pre-cantonment of M23 and other armed groups.
The appointment of Julienne Lusenge as deputy coordinator of the national monitoring mechanism for the Addis Ababa framework agreement in the DRC was also a step forward for the representation of women in peacebuilding. Indeed, the participation of women in peace processes is essential for lasting peace.
In short, the extraordinary summit of EAC Heads of State made it possible to make progress on many topical issues such as the question of security in eastern DRC and the participation of women in the processes of peace. The decisions taken at this meeting confirm the importance of regional cooperation to achieve the common objectives of peace and development