The last extraordinary summit of the East African Community (EAC) was an opportunity for heads of state and government to salute the efforts of President Félix Tshisekedi for reconciliation and the restoration of peace in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
During this meeting, African leaders also announced the extension of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) for six months, from March 8 to September 8, 2023. This decision aims to consolidate the progress made by the Force East African region in the region.
Furthermore, the summit condemned the recent ceasefire violations in eastern DRC and called on the EAC Regional Force to take action to prevent these incidents from happening again.
The Heads of State also asked the East African Regional Force to retain areas that have been liberated by M23 and other armed groups. They also encouraged troops to accompany the orderly withdrawal of these groups from the areas they still occupy.
In addition, leaders wanted to protect civilians and promote the return of internally displaced persons to areas liberated by armed groups. Thus, they requested the Regional Force to work with the local defense forces, MONUSCO and other concerned parties to visit and confirm, within the following three weeks, that the Rumangabo camp is suitable for the pre-cantonment of M23 and other armed groups.
Finally, the summit called on the DRC and South Sudan to start bilateral discussions to resolve the issues related to the negative forces at their common border.
This major meeting made it possible to take stock of the security situation in the DRC and to show the commitment of the countries of East Africa to support the actions undertaken for peace and stability in the region.