Ver Angola

Politics

PR addresses situation in DRC with Guterres and Félix Tshisekedi

The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, discussed the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, and with his counterpart from the DRC, Félix Tshisekedi.

:

According to a note from the Presidency, posted on its Facebook page, the head of state spoke with Guterres on Saturday.

"President João Lourenço informed the UN Secretary-General about his latest steps and António Guterres, afterwards, expressed his full support for the mediation efforts of the Angolan statesman in DRCongo", says the presidency's note.

António Guterres also expressed urgency to speak with Presidents Félix Tshisekedi, of DRCongo, and Paul Kagame, of Rwanda.

This Tuesday, the evolution of the security situation in the DRC was discussed between João Lourenço and Félix Tshisekedi.

"The evolution of the security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo was the reason for a telephone conversation today [Tuesday] between Presidents João Lourenço, of Angola, and Félix Tshisekedi, of the DRC", reads another note from the Presidency.

The M23 ("March 23 Movement"), a former Tutsi rebellion that took up arms at the end of 2021, gained ground on Saturday in eastern DRC, seizing in particular two cities, Kiwanja and Rutshuru-centro, located on the National Road. 2, a strategic axis serving Goma, capital of North Kivu province.

The President of the DRC, Félix Tshisekedi, chaired on Saturday in Kinshasa "an extended meeting of the Higher Defense Council" to assess the situation after "a series of attacks and occupations of Congolese localities (...) by the M23" and decided to expel the Rwandan ambassador.

Kinshasa has accused Kigali for months of supporting the M23.

An unreleased report by the United Nations, consulted in August by the France-Presse (AFP) agency, pointed to Rwandan involvement with the M23, and this week a US diplomat at the UN made it clear that the Rwandan Defense Forces are helping the M23.

Rwanda denies and accuses the DRC - which also denies it - of collusion with the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR), a Rwandan Hutu rebel movement, with some of its elements involved in the genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994.

Speaking in September at the 77th General Assembly of the United Nations, Félix Tshisekedi encouraged his counterpart João Lourenço to continue with actions for peace and stability in his country and highlighted the Luanda Roadmap agreed between the DRC and the Rwanda, as well as support for the continuation of the Nairobi peace process.

In July, Félix Tshisekedi, and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, met in Luanda for a tripartite summit mediated by João Lourenço to discuss a solution to the armed conflict on the eastern border of the DRC.

At the time, João Lourenço noted the "positive progress" that resulted in a ceasefire among other measures included in a roadmap for peace.

Relations between Rwanda and the neighboring DRC have deteriorated since the DRC received, in its eastern part, Rwandan Hutus accused of participating in the Tutsi genocide in 1994.

The M23 was initially a Congolese militia formed by Tutsis from the DRC and allegedly supported by the governments of Rwanda and Uganda. On March 23, 2009, the militia signed a peace agreement with the Congolese government that culminated in the incorporation of its members into the DR Congo army.

Last March, the DRC accused the Rwandan government of sending special forces soldiers to Congolese territory.

Related

Permita anúncios no nosso site

×

Parece que está a utilizar um bloqueador de anúncios
Utilizamos a publicidade para podermos oferecer-lhe notícias diariamente.