A meeting which was to take place this Friday, April 22 in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, between the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Félix Tshisekedi, and a dozen armed groups active in the East of the DRC, has been postponed.
If the Congolese head of state was able to make the trip, the armed groups, on the other hand, were conspicuous by their absence due to the « logistical difficulties » linked to their displacement, according to the Congolese presidency. President Tshisekedi had to return to Kinshasa, leaving a delegation in Nairobi to pursue the file.
Some personalities from the political class have spoken out against this dialogue. The case of the opponent Martin Fayulu who indicated that “it is inadmissible that we let Mr. Félix Tshisekedi deliver the country into the hands of instrumentalized armed groups. The notorious incompetence of those who usurped power from the people is weighing heavily on the future of our country.”
Recall that this process of meeting the rebels was initiated during a mini-summit of the East African Community (ECA) which took place Thursday in Nairobi and which focused on insecurity in the sub -region, particularly in eastern DRC. The objective is to call on armed groups « to adhere to the option of peace before military engagement », according to the Congolese presidency.
The ECA meeting also decided to set up a regional force to hunt down the rebel groups concerned. Foreign armed movements operating in eastern DRC have also been invited to lay down their arms and return to their countries of origin, under penalty of being considered as negative forces and managed militarily by the region.
The ECA has seven members, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Uganda, as well as the DRC which officially joined the community on April 8.
By OMA Newsletter N° 680 of 22/04/2022
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