Luanda – France Diplomacy welcomed the decision to ceasefire agreed by the parties involved in the conflict in the East of the DRC, starting on August 4th, and encouraged them to respect their commitments.
According to a note from the French embassy in Angola sent to ANGOP, the European country is pleased with the meeting between the foreign ministers of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda on issues related to security and peace in Eastern DRC, organized, Wednesday, by Angola as part of the mediation led by that country, the Luanda process.
Therefore, the document indicates, it congratulates Angola for its mediation efforts and will continue to support the Luanda process, in order to move towards a diplomatic solution to the current crisis.
New Ceasefire Agreement
The II ministerial meeting on the peace and security situation in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), held this Tuesday, in Luanda, agreed a ceasefire, starting at midnight on August 4th.
The meeting, chaired by the Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António, brought together the heads of diplomacy of the DRC, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, and of Rwanda, Olivier Jean Patrick Nduhungirehe, at the same table.
According to the meeting's final communiqué, the ceasefire will be supervised by the strengthened Ad Hoc Verification Mechanism.
Tuesday's meeting (30) followed the ministerial session on March 21, 2024, in which delegations from the three countries concluded that it was imperative to achieve sustainable peace in Eastern DRC, to boost economic and the social well-being of communities in these neighboring countries and the Great Lakes sub-region.
These initiatives aim to encourage dialogue at the highest level and re-establish an environment of trust between both parties, to prevent the current political crisis from turning into a regional conflict.
The conflict in Eastern DRC, which has persisted since 2022, is led by forces from the rebel movement M23, which has reportedly been supported by Rwandan government forces.
The attacks, which resumed in December 2023, target civilian populations, as well as violating human rights, including the occupation of several areas in Congolese territory, which constitutes a clear violation of the Luanda and Nairobi Processes, thus harming diplomatic efforts and initiatives for peace and stability in that country. ART/CF/DOJ
