António Guterres' envoy, Huang Xia, met this Monday in Luanda with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António, to discuss issues of peace and security in the region, as part of the preparation for the next meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UN), scheduled for April 16.
In a note made public this Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs signals that the next meeting of the UN Security Council will address the security situation in the Great Lakes region.
Upon leaving the meeting, Huang Xia, quoted in the statement, highlighted "Angola's fundamental role in this process".
According to the diplomat, the United Nations considers Angola an important country in terms of peace and security in the Great Lakes, "both in historical terms and in terms of current objectives, especially those that are urgent".
The UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy also acknowledged the efforts undertaken by President João Lourenço and praised his leadership in seeking a comprehensive solution to the crisis in the Great Lakes Region, the statement said.
Huang Xia reiterated that the United Nations places great expectations on Angola and the leadership of the Angolan President (current Chairperson of the African Union) to make significant progress in the pacification of the Great Lakes.
President João Lourenço announced this Monday the abandonment of mediation in the conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo) and Rwanda (which is a concern for the Great Lakes Region), after direct negotiations with the M23 failed due to factors "external" to the African process.
The Presidency announced, through a statement, that Angola has committed itself "with all seriousness, energy and resources" since the African Union entrusted the head of state with the responsibility of mediating the conflict, highlighting the progress achieved after successive rounds of talks.
Among them, he highlighted the promise of neutralization of the guerrillas of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR, a resistance group that brings together part of the Hutus from the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo), by the DRCongo, while Rwanda committed to withdrawing its Defense Forces from Congolese territory.
