Harare, (New Ziana) – President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday called for a common strategy by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional group to secure peace in war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
He made the remarks in his capacity as SADC chairman during the virtual extraordinary SADC summit on the security situation in DRC.
President Mnangagwa said SADC welcomed efforts by the International Community to end the conflict, particularly, the adoption of Resolution 2773 by the United National’s Security Council.
He said after the SDAC leaders’ last meeting in Harare, a historic joint SADC and East African Community (EAC) Summit on the DRC conflict was also held in Tanzania where clear resolutions were also made.
Rebels backed by Rwanda have taken large swathes of eastern DRC, and are threatening to advance on the capital, Kinshansa.
At continental and global levels, said President Mnangagwa, both the African Union Peace and Security Council and the United Nations Security Council, respectively, have reiterated calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and cessation of hostilities.
“As we convene today, we remain cognizant of the fact that repercussions of the instability extend beyond the DRC borders, affecting the broader region at large.
“It is noteworthy that the implementation of the resolutions of the Joint SADC-EAC Summit is now underway. We look forward to an update report from the Chair of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, on the specific milestones realised so far,” he said.
It remains crucial going forward, said President Mnangagwa that member countries infuse a greater sense of urgency in their respective work plans, putting emphasis on collaborative strategies to improve peace and security in the DRC.
He said as SADC, they reaffirm their commitment to play their part to promote lasting and sustainable peace, adding that an inclusive and comprehensive dialogue process is therefore essential to strengthen security mechanisms that safeguard the human rights and dignity of the affected communities.
“Undoubtedly, there have been many setbacks and challenges in our quest for peace in eastern DRC. Our shared goal is to see a secure and prosperous DRC. To achieve this, we must constantly take stock of the decisions we have adopted from time to time,” said President Mnangagwa.
New Ziana
