Africa-Press – Angola. The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, met, Friday, in Kigali, with his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, following the effort to mediate the conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, which in recent times has known “worrying contours” mainly due to the upsurge in military actions in the east of the DRC, more specifically in North Kivu.
Upon arrival at Kigali Airport, the Head of State was received by the Rwandan Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nshuti Manasseh, and he went to the local Presidential Palace for a one-hour meeting with President Paul Kagame, to whom he conveyed new proposals for resolving the conflict in the Great Lakes Region, where M23 forces and the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR) clash daily, causing deaths among the population and massive displacement refugees to other locations, including neighboring countries such as Angola.
Speaking to the press, at the end of the meeting between the two Heads of State, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António, said that Presidents Paul Kagame and Félix Tshisekedi agree with the implementation of the Luanda Roadmap, which defines the general lines to be followed to the resolution of the dispute between the two belligerent countries.
Téte António said that during the meeting, Presidents João Lourenço and Paul Kagame reviewed the situation in the Great Lakes Region, noting that it is essentially characterized by combative actions on the ground and political tension between the DRC and Rwanda, which in recent days led to the expulsion of the Rwandan ambassador in the Congolese capital.
“It is against this background that President João Lourenço is contacting the parties to the conflict, taking appropriate measures that have already started with trips to the two belligerent countries”, he reaffirmed.
According to the minister, President João Lourenço, the mediator mandated by the African Union, has been able to bring new proposals to find “lasting solutions” to the crisis in the East of the DRC, which involve neutralizing the negative forces operating on the common border.
New proposals under wraps
The minister did not elaborate on the proposals for the pacification of the Great Lakes Region advanced to the Rwandan counterpart, claiming that their disclosure was still premature, considering the fact that they have yet to be presented to the Congolese Head of State, Félix Tshisekedi.
“After all, we will make the final results public, but the most important thing is that the parties are engaged and continue to work with the mediator, for a positive outcome of the conflict”, said the head of Angolan diplomacy.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
