Ndayishimiye, Kenyatta Urge Inter-Congolese Dialogue to Stabilize Eastern DR Congo
After reviewing the status of the political and military tracks' implementation, they started working to stabilize Eastern DRC.
Ndayishimiye, Kenyatta Urge Inter-Congolese Dialogue to Stabilize Eastern DR Congo
East African Community Headquarters, 5 November 2022, Arusha, Tanzania: In Bujumbura, Burundi, on Friday, H.E. Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi and Chair of the EAC Heads of State Summit, met with H.E. (Rtd) President Uhuru Kenyatta, EAC Facilitator on the Peace Process in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to discuss the security situation there at the moment.
After reviewing the status of the political and military tracks’ implementation, they started working to stabilize Eastern DRC.
The political track is being energized towards a comprehensive solution to the extended security situation, they added, while force creation and deployment are in motion.
As local armed groups had offered to give up their weapons in exchange for peace and urged all parties to join in the quest for lasting peace in Eastern DRC through inter-Congolese dialogue, they reviewed recent developments in North Kivu, particularly the resurgence of violence that has undermined the gains that had been made.
The assembly also demanded that all foreign armed organizations unconditionally return to their respective home nations.
On November 16, 2022, the next round of the peace talks will get under way in Nairobi, Kenya.
The meeting emphasized the necessity to sustain inclusion by assuring the involvement of all stakeholders and stated that going forward, different Community leaders will be accommodated in each session.
The consultative meeting approved a roadmap for the political track’s implementation in an effort to permanently restore security and peace to Eastern DRC. It also encouraged continued cooperation between the EAC-Led Process and the Luanda Process in order to reduce tension between the brotherly states of DRC and Rwanda.
The consultative meeting also commended the Republics of Kenya, Uganda, and Burundi for their prompt force deployment and asked all other nations providing soldiers to speed up their deployment within the established framework and structure.
In accordance with the regional aspirations outlined in the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC, within the framework of the EAC-led Nairobi Peace Process, and with the goodwill of the African Union (AU), International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), and the United Nations, the meeting appreciated the commitment of all EAC Heads of State to a sustainable, peaceful, and inclusive solution to the DRC crisis (UN).
The Chairperson reaffirmed that he is in discussion with all EAC Heads of State about adopting a regional strategy to handle the issue and foster trust among EAC Partner States within the established framework.
