Rédaction Africa Links 24 with ANGONOTÍCIAS
Published on 2024-02-29 00:31:19
Angolan analysts advocate for a change in the mediation strategy for the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The United States surprised the continent these days with a bold geostrategic move by directly accusing Rwanda and President Paul Kagame’s government of supporting the M23 rebels in destabilizing the eastern provinces of the DRC.
This American “move” has been in the works for a few years, as demonstrated by Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visits to Kinshasa, officially seeking solutions to stabilize the Great Lakes region, where two realities stand out.
Rwandan authorities rejected U.S. calls for the withdrawal of troops and missile systems from the eastern DRC, stating that they are defending Rwandan territory while Kinshasa is conducting a “dramatic military escalation” near the border.
The African Union urged the M-23 and other armed groups operating in the eastern DRC to unconditionally cease hostilities, disarm, and promote dialogue through the Luanda and Nairobi processes, under the leadership of President João Lourenço and former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, in order to consolidate the progress made to date.
This appeal is included in the final communiqué of the Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the continental organization expressed deep concern about the deterioration of the humanitarian and security situation in that region and condemned the ongoing attacks against civilians.
João Lourenço, as the mediator of the conflict in the eastern DRC, convened a high-level meeting in Addis Ababa, during which he said the goal was to try to put the peace process in the conflict region back on track.
João Lourenço admits that the advances made have suffered setbacks. In a conversation with the Voice of America, political analysts Nkikinamo Tussamba and Agostinho Sikato discussed the paths of efforts for peace in the region.
Read the original article (Portuguese) on Angonoticias
