Luanda - The quadripartite summit involving the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), East African Community (EAC), Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) held Tuesday, in Luanda, demanded the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all armed groups operating in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly the M-23 rebel movement.
Under the leadership of the African Union (AU), besides Angolan President Joao Lourenço, Tuesday's meeting brought together the heads of state and government of the regions that make up the ICGLR, EAC, ECCAS and SADC.
The event, which was also attended by the United Nations, expressed concern at the insecurity and humanitarian situation prevailing in this African country, as a result of the actions carried out by all armed groups operating in the region.
In this regard, the participants in the quadripartite summit called for the establishment of humanitarian support to facilitate assistance to the victims of this conflict, says the communiqué of the meeting read by Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, representing the African Union.
The summit stressed the need to re-establish the authority of the State in the occupied regions in the eastern region of the DRC, with a view to creating a favourable environment for the return of refugees and internally displaced people in the near future.
It adopted the joint framework on the coordination of peace initiatives in eastern DRC region by the ICGLR, the EAC, the ECCAS and SADC and the UN, under the chairmanship of the African Union with a view to harmonising all efforts which complies with the relevant instruments, decisions and agreed timelines.
In view of the need for a harmonised and coordinated assessment with the African Union leadership to address the different security threats that still prevail in the Great Lakes Region, the event commended the efforts of the ICGLR, EAC, CEEAC and SADC and encouraged the aforementioned organisations to strengthen cooperation through the creation of joint security efforts.
It welcomed specially the SADC initiative as it calls for a reinforcement of the harmony and coordination of all political and diplomatic initiatives and efforts for peace and security in the east of the DRC.
This inter-regional meeting is part of the recommendations of the 11th extraordinary Summit of Heads of State of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), held on 3 June this year in Luanda Province, on the initiative of the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço.
However, among other issues, the Summit held in Angola´s capital city, together with the African Union and the United Nation, called for urgent need to improve the coordination and operation of the mechanism to monitor for the implementation of the ceasefire and the withdrawal of M23 from the territories they hold.
In addition to João Lourenço, the quadripartite meeting was attended by the President of the Union of the Comoros and acting chairman of the African Union, Azali Assoumani, the Head of State of Zimbabwe and acting chairman of the African Union Peace and Security Council, Emmerson Mnangagwa, and the President of Gabon, and acting chairman of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Ali Bongo.
Burundi´s Head of State and the chairman of the East African Community (EAC), Evarist Ndayishimiye, the Head of State of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and acting chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Félix Tshisekedi, the former President of Kenya and designated facilitator of the EAC, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, were also present.
The summit also attended by the Vice President of Namibia, Nangolo Mbumba, the Rwandan Foreign minister, Vincent Biruta, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahammat, Ambassador Parfait Onanga, representative of the UN Secretary General, as well as the Chairperson of the ECCAS Commission, and the Executive Secretaries of the ICGLR, SADC and the EAC. AFL/JFS/OHA/ADR/MRA/jmc
