Luanda - Political analyst Matias Pires has highlighted Angola´s commitment to establishing peace and security on the African continent, with particular focus on the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Matias Pires, who is a specialist in International Relations, was speaking to ANGOP on the “Effects of intra-African cooperation in the fight to the destabilising actions against the Continent´s states”, and on the occasion highlighted President João Lourenço´s actions to pacify Africa.
Matias Pires said that Angola was part of the Southern African Development Countries (SADC) peace mission for the stabilisation process in Lesotho and it takes part in the mission to return peace and stability to the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique.
The International Relations specialist explained that President Lourenço committed himself to the easing of tension between Rwanda and Uganda, an action that resulted in the signing of the Luanda Memorandum in 2019 and it implemented the reopening of the Catuna - Gatuna border in the beginning of 2020, as well as the Luanda Roadmap in 2022.
“Angola has accumulated vast experience of this nature, of understanding conflicts, as a result of the long civil war period. It has been helping the country to export its doctrine of peace and reconciliation, a unique model in Africa”, he said.
Matias Pires stressed that Angola is entering its 21st year of effective peace, with full reconciliation and social, political and economic reintegration of those involved in the armed conflict.
He reminded that in the last 21 years, Angola has served two terms as a non-permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council.
“Angola has played a great role regarding conflict management and resolution on the continent. The country's first President, António Agostinho Neto, defined the principle of solidarity with oppressed peoples”, stressed the analyst, to whom the country continues to make enormous efforts to achieve peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“Many steps have already been taken, fulfilling the mandate that the African Union gave to President João Lourenço, but the political will of the parties is fundamental and there is also the need for the external negative forces to drop the support they give to the M23”, he added.
Still regarding Angola´s role, Matias Pires reminded that in his capacity as acting Chairman of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, President João Lourenço contributed to the maintenance of the Central African Republic President, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, who was democratically elected, against attempts by rebel groups to overthrow him.
