Africa-Press – Angola. The prevailing situation in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was assessed, Monday (19), at the United Nations headquarters, in New York (USA), during the meeting of the Sanctions Committee 1533 (2004) of the UN Security Council concerning this African country.
According to a note from the diplomatic representation, the participants appreciated the interim report of the Group of Experts on the DRC, regarding the latest developments, marked by the resurgence of the conflict in the East of that country.
In his speech, Ambassador Francisco José da Cruz, Permanent Representative of Angola, reported on the diplomatic efforts of President João Lourenço, as President-in-Office of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (CIRGL), with a view to peace and stability in eastern DRC.
In this context, the diplomat highlighted the Mini-Summit held on February 17 of this year, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the sidelines of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, which addressed the situation of instability in Eastern DRC and the tension between this country and Rwanda.
The diplomat stated that Angola remains very concerned about the deterioration of the humanitarian and security situation in eastern DRC.
He further added that the alleged resumption of attacks and the occupation of several areas of the territory by the M23 constitute a clear violation of the Luanda and Nairobi processes and harm diplomatic efforts for peace and stability in the East of the DRC.
For this reason, he made it known that, within the scope of his duties, as Acting President of the (CIRGL) and Champion of the African Union for Peace and Reconciliation in Africa, President João Lourenço has undertaken several diplomatic actions, highlighting the Mini -Summit held on November 23, 2022, in Luanda.
This, he added, aimed to establish a calendar for the implementation of priority actions, aimed at the cessation of hostilities and the immediate withdrawal of the M23 from occupied Congolese locations, as well as the coordination of the Luanda and Nairobi Processes.
This Summit, according to Ambassador Francisco da Cruz, decided to establish an Ad-Hoc Verification Mechanism on the ground to oversee the implementation of its decisions and support Angola’s mediation efforts.
Under the auspices of the African Union, the Angolan capital hosted on June 27, 2023, a Quadripartite Summit, with the aim of coordinating and harmonizing peace initiatives in the East of DRC, within the scope of the Quadripartite Peace Mechanism, integrated by the Community of East Africa (EAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (EEAC), the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
He also reported that Angola prepared a military contingent of the Armed Forces to guarantee the security of the M23 cantonment areas immediately after the ceasefire.
He added that, in line with the SADC decision, South African troops have now been deployed to the field as part of the SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC) to support peacemaking efforts in that country.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1533, adopted unanimously on March 12, 2004, established the Sanctions Committee on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to monitor an arms embargo imposed on all foreign forces. and Congolese in the east of the country.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
