The summit of Heads of State of the East African Community (EAC) was held last Wednesday in the Burundian capital Bujumbura to discuss the security situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). ). Among the issues discussed, the cantonment phase of the terrorists of the March 23 Movement (M23) after their withdrawal from the areas they occupied was widely mentioned.
The Heads of State formulated a series of recommendations at the end of this 21st extraordinary summit. In particular, they ordered the regional force to work with the chiefs of the defense forces, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and other stakeholders to visit and verify in the three weeks the relevance of the Rumangabo camp for the pre-cantonment of M23 and other armed groups.
Rumangabo camp, located in the east of Virunga National Park, was occupied by the M23 during the 2012-2013 insurgency and is one of the main military camps in North Kivu province.
Last April, the President of the Republic Félix Tshisekedi announced that the M23 terrorists will be quartered near the town of Kindu, capital of the province of Maniema, and that elements of the Angolan army will be sent to the East of the DRC with a view to continuing the supervision of the process of withdrawal, so far timid, of the M23.
The purpose of this cantonment is to disarm and repatriate local armed groups occupying areas ceded by the M23 and foreign armed groups.
This recommendation has sparked a debate in the DRC, because the presence of armed groups in the east of the country has disastrous consequences on the security of the populations but also on the environment and wildlife in the region.
In addition, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating crimes against humanity in the province of Ituri, where violence and massacres have been committed for several years. Carriers have suspended transport on the roads leading to the former eastern province, due to insecurity on these roads. Citizen movements are calling for the release of political prisoners and an end to the dictatorship, while the Salon des Jeunes Entrepreneurs Congolais organized a day of inspiration, discussion and funding to encourage entrepreneurship in the DRC.
Beyond security issues, the DRC has made significant progress on the political scene with the appointment of Julienne Lusenge as Deputy Coordinator of the National Mechanism for Monitoring the Addis Ababa Framework Agreement for Peacebuilding in the country.
The overall situation in the DRC remains complex but the progress must be welcomed for its contribution to development and the consolidation of peace in the country