Leaders of the East and Southern Africa regional blocs have called on all feuding parties in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo conflict to immediately halt hostilities.
The joint regional blocs also resolved to direct their Military Chiefs to work out what is called a “technical direction” for an unconditional ceasefire in the conflict zone of Goma and its environs.
These are highpoints of a 22-point communique released at the end of a summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania attended by 9 of the leaders and representatives of five others.
The consolidation of the 2 separate peace talks, the Luanda and the Nairobi Processes, into one was also agreed.
A cursory look at the 6-page document shows that peace talks will now involve the M23 rebels, the group which seized Goma,the major town in the East of the D.R.C and is supported by Rwanda.
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Direct talks with the rebel group has been a sour point with the Congolse authorities, even as the naturalization of the FDLR rebel group, which is believed to be backed by the Congolese government is to be undertaken by the joint blocs military.
Foreign Ministers from the two blocs have thirty days to submit à progress report on the agreements as outlined in the communique.
Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and D.R Congo’s Félix Tshisekedi were at the Summit alongside Paul Kagame, whom both have labelled an aggressor, with the Rwandan leader hitting back accusing Ramaphosa of not being a sincere mediator.
This larger attempt to resolve the hostilities in the D.R Congo comes just six days to the continent’s leaders’ Summit in Addis Ababa under the auspices of the African Union, A.U
(Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)
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