Africa-Press – Angola. The deployment of Angolan military forces, within the scope of the peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was discussed, this Tuesday, in Luanda, between high officials of Angola and the UN military adviser for operations of support for peace, Birani Diop.
The information was provided by the senior official of the United Nations (UN) after a meeting with the Chief of Staff General of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), General Altino Carlos José dos Santos, and a visit to the center of operations of that institution.
The National Assembly unanimously approved, at the request of the President of the Republic, the sending of a contingent of 500 soldiers to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Angolan mission must secure the cantonment areas for the M23 elements and protect the members of the Ad-Hoc verification mechanism, following the ceasefire between government troops and the rebels.
According to Birani Diop, “we had a detailed approach with the high hierarchy of the Angolan contingent in the DRC to verify and ensure that this unit is in better conditions to carry out the activities entrusted”.
He said that the UN welcomes the Angolan willingness to send military personnel for peace in the DRC.
He stressed that there is still no confirmation of the actual date for the deployment of Angolan personnel in the DRC, but there are guarantees of speed for the force to be on the ground as soon as possible.
The UN official stated that the need for the necessary collaboration between the UN mission in the DRC (MINISCO) and the forces of the East African community and to find ways to follow for the achievement of the proposed goals were also discussed.
The Angolan mediation of the conflict in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) resulted in a ceasefire agreement in that region, since March 7 this year.
At a mini-summit on peace and security in the Great Lakes region, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 17, 2023, African heads of state and government mandated” Angola, in coordination with the former President of Kenya , Uhuru Kennyatta, designated facilitator of the East Africa Commission, to liaise with the leadership of the rebel group March 23 Movement (M23).
The M23 was created in 2012 when DRC soldiers revolted over the loss of power of their leader, Bosco Ntaganda, prosecuted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and for alleged breaches of the peace agreement of March 23, 2009, which gives the movement its name.
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