When we talk about current events, it is difficult not to mention the security crisis plaguing the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Following the conclusion of the meeting of the quadripartite composed of the African Union (AU), the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the need to pursue the political path through dialogue to resolve this crisis was highlighted.
Experts from the Chiefs of Staff highlighted the importance of coordinating and harmonizing regional peace initiatives in eastern DRC, in accordance with the efforts led by the EAC and ECCAS within the framework of the Nairobi and Luanda processes. They also called for close alignment and coordination of the withdrawal of existing missions and the deployment of planned missions in this region, in order to avoid a security vacuum.
Participants praised the mediation efforts of João Manuel Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola and President of the ICGLR, as well as Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of Burundi, to facilitate dialogue between the DRC and Rwanda and restore the good neighborhood. They also paid tribute to Uhuru Kenyatta, former President of Kenya and EAC Facilitator for the DRC, for his efforts towards peace since his appointment.
The security and humanitarian situation in eastern DRC concerns the chiefs of staff of the region’s armies. They demanded the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all armed groups and negative forces and called for the creation of humanitarian corridors to facilitate assistance to affected populations.
To ensure the coordination of military activities in the east of the DRC, it was decided that the chiefs of staff of the quadripartite will meet twice a year, under the aegis of a multilevel coordination working group . The military experts of the members of the quadripartite will meet on a quarterly basis. These meetings will be coordinated by the AU, in close collaboration with the DRC.
In conclusion, the chiefs of staff of the armies of the region welcomed the efforts of coordination and harmonization of regional peace initiatives. They called for support for existing initiatives and planned deployments. It is now essential to implement these recommendations and continue political and security efforts to resolve the crisis in eastern DRC.