The Great Lakes region is plagued by growing insecurity, particularly in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The President of Angola, João Lourenço, organized an extraordinary summit of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) to report on the work he is doing as a facilitator appointed by the African Union. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lutundula, presented the results of the summit in a briefing moderated by the Minister of Communication and Media, Patrick Muyaya.
Christophe Lutundula pointed out that the Luanda and Nairobi process, which had been launched to combat insecurity in the region, had not yet yielded the expected results. As part of this process, provision was made in particular for the cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of armed groups, disarmament and the integration of combatants within the Disarmament, Demobilization, Community Recovery and Social Reintegration Program (P-DDRCS). However, the territorial integrity of the DRC is not respected in certain areas where armed groups continue to operate.
The ICGLR summit reaffirmed the need to execute the joint Luanda roadmap adopted in November 2022. The Heads of State and Heads of Delegation set the date of June 23 for the holding in Luanda of a quadripartite meeting coordination with the participation of EAC, SADC and ECCAS under the aegis of the African Union. The purpose of this meeting is to continue efforts for the pacification of eastern DRC and the Great Lakes region.
The security situation in the DRC remains precarious, despite international initiatives. The economic and social challenges facing the country are aggravating the situation. The authorities are putting in place measures to fight against insecurity, but there is still a long way to go