Harare - The Southern African Development Community (SADC) concluded Saturday, in Harare, the work of its 44th Ordinary Summit with a note of thanks for Angola's peace efforts in the region.
In the final communiqué of the meeting, read by its executive secretary, Elias Magosi, the regional organization highlights the merit of the Luanda Process, led by President João Lourenço for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The document notes that the summit praised the Angolan President for his commitment and determination to bring peace to the DRC, highlighting the mediation actions that culminated in the signing of a ceasefire between this country and neighboring Rwanda.
Since August 4th, the DRC and Rwanda have observed a ceasefire signed, on July 30th, in Luanda, by ministerial delegations from the two countries under the mediation of Angola.
This week, the Angolan head of state announced that the next ministerial meeting will discuss and negotiate the terms of a lasting peace agreement to be signed in the presence of the heads of state of the three countries (Angola, DRC and Rwanda).
João Lourenço highlighted that Luanda will host, on August 20th, a new ministerial meeting on the latest peace proposal between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda.
He explained that this understanding resulted from the latest actions developed within the scope of the pacification efforts in the East of the DRC, which culminated in his trip to talk to his counterparts Paul Kagame and Félix Tshisekedi.
João Lourenço indicated that, in the conversation he had with the two heads of state, he realized that there was “a great political will to resolve the conflict through negotiation”, which favored the scheduling of the meeting on August 20th, next Tuesday. IZ/ART/DOJ
