Leaders of Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) are scheduled to meet today (Monday) to deliberate on the critical security situation in Eastern DRC.
The joint virtual summit will be co-chaired by William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Chairperson of the EAC, and Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Chairperson of SADC.
According to the SADC communiqué, this news of the Heads of State and Government will deliberate on the report of the SADC-EAC Joint Ministerial Meeting held on Monday, March 17, in Harare, Zimbabwe.
William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Chairperson of the EAC, and Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Chairperson of SADC.
The ministerial meeting held on Monday, March 17 in Harare, Zimbabwe, adopted a roadmap detailing measures for implementing the resolutions in the immediate, medium and long terms to resolve the conflict in eastern DRC, where the AFC/M23 rebellion is waging war against the Congolese army.
The final communiqué specifies that these immediate measures must be implemented within 30 days.
This includes engaging in direct dialogue with the parties to the conflict at the military level to secure their commitment to an unconditional ceasefire, a cessation of hostilities, and a halt to any territorial expansion to allow freedom of movement for humanitarian agencies, the opening of airports (Goma and Kavumu), and the uninterrupted evacuation of the conflict zone.
A SADC-EAC Joint Verification Mechanism will be established to monitor the cessation of hostilities and the unconditional ceasefire.
Given the presence on the ground of the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM) of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and MONUSCO, the meeting recommended that the ICGLR undertake to examine the possibility for SADC and the EAC to strengthen the Joint Verification Mechanism (JVM) by seconding additional personnel to serve as the primary tool for monitoring the cessation of hostilities, the ceasefire, and the humanitarian situation.
It is also planned that a joint SADC-EAC technical field assessment team, composed of 12 to 16 experts from the military and other government agencies, will be established to assess the security and humanitarian situation in the provinces of North and South Kivu, as well as the state of critical infrastructure (airports and other key infrastructure).
This team will be composed of experts in operations, intelligence, logistics, public works and aviation.
Regarding medium-term measures (i.e. 30 to 120 days), the aim will be to implement confidence-building measures at the political and military levels, alongside negotiation and mediation.
Dialogue with the parties to the conflict will be ensured by the joint representatives of the EAC and SADC within the merged Luanda-Nairobi framework; the declaration of a permanent ceasefire; and a call to the UN to develop appropriate measures/mandate to strengthen MONUSCO’s capacity to support efforts to secure the provinces of North and South Kivu.
For long-term measures (beyond 120 days), the roadmap states that the EAC and SADC should explore ways to strengthen the capacity of DRC government forces to ensure the security of Goma, Bukavu and surrounding areas; address the root causes of the conflict; restore DRC government state and civilian authorities (for the country’s sovereignty and respect for territorial integrity) in areas occupied by the M23; and support stabilization and peacebuilding efforts.
This new joint SADC-EAC summit comes as the Rwandan-backed AFC/M23 rebel movement announced its repositioning of Walikale Centre and its surrounding areas in North Kivu province to ensure conditions conducive to a political solution to the conflict.
In response, the FARDC acknowledged the situation and declared itself ready to intervene in the event of a “hostile movement.”
Kinshasa, which had previously opposed direct dialogue with the rebel movement, is showing itself increasingly open to this option.
Speaking to the press, Congolese foreign minister Thérèse Kayikwamba justified this position by citing the evolving conflict on the ground, with a view to achieving a cessation of hostilities and ensuring the protection of civilian populations.
