LEADERS from Africa’s regional blocs have issued a fresh demand for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all armed groups, particularly the M23 rebel group, from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).
The East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) made the call in a statement following a summit held in Angola’s capital, Luanda, on Tuesday. The summit was convened to address the security situation in eastern DR Congo.
The leaders expressed concern over the ‘insecurity and humanitarian situation’ in the country, which has been worsened by the ‘criminal activities of armed and terrorist groups,’ according to the statement.
In this context, they demanded the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all armed groups, specifically mentioning the M23 rebel group. The statement also referenced other rebel groups, including Uganda’s Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and Rwanda’s Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
The summit criticised the M23 for its failure to comply with the requirement to withdraw from the occupied territories as stipulated in the Luanda peace roadmap of November 23, 2022. Furthermore, the summit called for the establishment of humanitarian corridors to address the pressing needs of affected populations. Angola’s President and the current chairman of the ICGLR, Joao Lourenco, reiterated his call for DR Congo and Rwanda to normalise their political-diplomatic relations.
Azali Assoumani, the President of Comoros and Chairperson of the African Union, emphasised the importance of unified efforts to achieve peace in DR Congo and prevent the security crisis from spreading to other countries in the region.
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi attended the meeting, while Rwanda was represented by its Foreign Minister, Vincent Biruta.
A recent report by the UN Group of Experts accused Rwanda of supporting the Congolese M23 rebels, a charge that Rwanda has dismissed, citing questionable evidence and unreliable sources.
Kinshasa has accused Kigali of backing the rebel group since its resurgence in November 2021, a charge that Rwanda consistently denies. In turn, Kigali has accused the Congolese army of aligning with the FDLR, a group implicated in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi ethnic group.
