The African Union President, Azali Assoumani, expressed yesterday that the worsening situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) is destabilising the nation and advocated for efforts to convert the country into “a source of happiness, rather than a point of conflict”.
Assoumani was addressing the Quadripartite Summit of Heads of State and Government on the pacification of eastern DR Congo, hosted in Luanda. He highlighted that the existing situation is not only a concern for the region and the continent, but also the world at large.
“The humanitarian and security situation in DR Congo is undermining the stability of this country,” stated Assoumani, drawing attention to the significance of the crisis in a region possessing a wealth of economic and human resources.
The acting president of the African Union (AU) warned that the instability in eastern DR Congo could set a precedent for the rest of Africa. He emphasised the need for “amplifying joint and active actions to achieve solutions favouring a peaceful and prosperous Congo”.
“To that end, we need political, diplomatic, and security solutions that are suitable, effective, and innovative to reinforce them, thereby avoiding duplication of efforts and competition between regional mechanisms,” he underscored.
The necessity for pacification in eastern DR Congo, a region experiencing ongoing military tension and opposing Rwanda, is a central point of this summit, involving heads of state and government from four African regional blocs.
High-level representatives from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the East African Community (EAC), the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICRGL), and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) are participating in the Luanda summit.
Azali Assoumani, also the head of state of Comoros, elaborated on the strategic goals of the summit, which are “to agree on adapting a joint framework and modality for the implementation and monitoring of these peace initiatives in eastern DR Congo”.
He also noted the paradox of DR Congo being a country rich in diverse resources, yet the local populations live in extreme poverty, primarily due to conflict. He asserted that the regional blocs must become agents of peace and stability.
“We must do everything we can to change this tendency, making DR Congo a source of happiness, not a source of conflict. We have to act as agents of peace, stability, and development,” he emphasised.
Assoumani further praised Angolan President João Lourenço and Angolan diplomacy for their “efforts, engagement and permanent availability to service harmony and robust coordination of the security crisis” in eastern DR Congo.
Meanwhile, the AU Commission’s President, Moussa Faki Mahammat, expressed that the meeting was a fresh testimony of his unwavering commitment to finding “African solutions to African problems”.
“As I always maintain, the Great African Lakes form the heartbeat of the continent,” he stated, noting the AU’s commitment to the restoration of peace and security in the region.
The coordination of efforts among regional organisations is “required with greater urgency” in order to achieve “greater efficiency and more parsimonious management of resources”, according to Mahammat. He argued that this need for coordination becomes more pressing considering the ongoing global and African crises, such as the severe Sudanese crisis.
The summit, attended by representatives from Burundi, Zimbabwe, Gabon, DR Congo, Rwanda, Comoros, Namibia, the AU, and the United Nations, seeks effective peace mechanisms for the eastern region of DR Congo.
Image Credit: Djaffar Sabiti/Reuters
