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DRC, RWANDA AGREE TO STOP HOSTILITIES

DRC, RWANDA AGREE TO STOP HOSTILITIES
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Renson Mwakandana

According to an announcement made by the president of Angola, João Lourenço, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda agreed to immediately halt hostilities on Wednesday.

Felix Tshisekedi of the DRC and Paul Kagame of Rwanda both decided to establish an ad-hoc surveillance mechanism after their meeting on Wednesday in Luanda, he added.

The bilateral joint commission meeting between Rwanda and the DRC will be held in Luanda on next Tuesday, according to President Lourenço, who also serves as the chairman of the ICGLR. The African Union chose him to arbitrate the Kinshasa-Kigali conflict.

An image showing Presidents Paul Kagame (Rwanda), João Lourenço (Angola) and Felix Tshisekedi (DR Congo) speak following a mediation meeting in Luanda /The East African/
 

“I am pleased to announce that we have had positive results, in our view, in that we have agreed on a ceasefire, among other measures that are contained in the roadmap that has just been presented,” President Lourenço said,

Following counter charges that each country supported rival rebel groups in eastern DR Congo, Rwanda and DR Congo have been at odds.

Kinshasa accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels, who have been engaged in a series of confrontations with the army since the end of May, leading to a deterioration in ties between the two countries. In response, Kigali accused DRC of backing FDLR rebels who were opposed to Rwanda while also rejecting the claims.

President of Angola, João Lourenço /CGTN Africa/

Following the revival of the M23 rebels operating in the country’s east, close to the border between both countries, President Tshisekedi declared on Sunday that there was no doubt that Rwanda was supporting a revolt in his country.

Kinshasa had already banned Rwandan airline RwandAir from entering the country and called the ambassador of Rwanda to inform him of the situation. The goal of the treatment procedure was to help rebuild trust between Rwanda and the DRC.

According to Tshisekedi’s communication office, “This objective will be achieved gradually via a so-called Luanda roadmap based on the re-launch of the DRC-Rwanda joint commission, which has not met for several years.” The inaugural meeting of this commission will take place in Luanda on July 12, 2022.

The road map calls for an openness to improving ties between Kinshasa and Kigali.

An image showing M23 rebels on a truck on patrol in one of the captured villages /AfricaNews/
 

Political analyst Macolino Tavares told said that: “Angola has amassed vast experience in solving conflicts thus I think this conflict between DRC and Rwanda will come to an end with President Lourenço’s mediation.”

Matias Pires, another expert, said to the state-run Rádio Nacional de Angola that: “This conflict between brothers has no deep reason to keep on. With Angola mediation it will come soon to an end.”

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