Luanda – The urgent need for peaceful solution between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda topped a tripartite meeting on Saturday in Luanda between military entities from Angola, as a mediator, and of the two countries (DRC and Rwanda) in conflict.
The meeting was chaired by the Minister of State and Head of the Military Affairs Office to the Presidency of Republic, General Francisco Pereira Furtado, as part of Angolan President João Lourenço’s effort to achieve peace in Great Lakes Region.
Representatives from the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE) of Angola, the National Intelligence Agency (ANR) of the DRC and the National Security and Intelligence Services (NISS) of the Republic of Rwanda participated in the meeting.
The meeting was also attended by a representative of the “Ad Hoc” Verification Mechanism.
In his capacity as a mediator in the conflict between the two countries, the President of Angola João Lourenço suggested on Wednesday dialogue at ministerial and experts level, as there are still no conditions for a meeting between the presidents of the two countries.
Speaking at the Board Meeting of the Assembly of the African Union (AU), held by videoconference, João Lourenço said that the current tension between the two neighbouring countries does not allow the meeting of their presidents, so the dialogue will have to be carried out at ministerial and experts levels.
"We have agreed with the DRC and Rwanda that next Saturday the intelligence services of the two countries and that of Angola will meet in Luanda", said João Lourenço, speaking at the Meeting of the Bureau of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) ), held by videoconference.
“The intention is for the parties to ascertain, from a technical point of view, what is really happening on the ground”, underlined the Angolan statesman, who insisted that “the parties must dialogue”.
Tensions grow between the DRC and Rwanda, after the resumption in March of fighting between the former and the M23 Movement, of ethnic Tutsi, in which Kinshasa authorities accuse the neighbouring country of supporting the Movement.