2023-11-27 14:39:45
Another decision of this summit: the accession of Somalia to the organization of which it becomes the eighth member state.
The countries of the East African Community met for a summit in Tanzania, in Arusha, this Friday, November 24. Among the heads of state present, there was the Tanzanian Samia Suluhu, Salva Kiir, from South Sudan, who takes the head of the organization and succeeds the Burundian Evariste Ndayisihimye.
A meeting in the absence of Rwandan Paul Kagame and Congolese Félix Thisekedi while the situation in the east of the DRC was at the heart of the discussions, including the decision to put an end to the region’s force deployed in North Kivu .
The Deputy Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba, the Minister of State for Regional Integration Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi and the High Representative of the Head of State Serge Tshibangu had the task of defending the Congolese file with one objective: to record the departure of the country’s EAC troops. Objective achieved at the end of this meeting, even if the Congolese presidency recognizes that the members of the delegation had to “ fight hard » during the closed-door discussion session.
However, no timetable has been set by the heads of state as the force’s mandate comes to an end on December 8. A meeting of the chiefs of staff of the region, but also of the SADC must take place before this date to set the modalities. Indeed, the Southern African Community must take over from the EAC in North Kivu. And it is absolutely necessary to avoid any security vacuum, insist Congolese officials, while fighting has resumed in the area for several weeks between the M23 rebels, the Congolese army and self-defense groups.
Three SADC countries have committed to deploying soldiers in eastern DRC: South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania. However, the latter had not sent soldiers more than a year ago as part of the EAC.
With our special correspondent in Kinshasa, Paulina Zidi
RFI, 24/11/2023
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