EAC Meeting: Burundi’s Ndayishimiye Moves Fast to Avert Rwanda-DRC War 

East African leaders have called for an “immediate ceasefire” by the DR Congo forces and the M23 rebels in a spirited effort to avert a potentially deadly armed conflict between Congo and Rwanda.

ChimpReports understands that EAC chairman Evariste Ndayishimiye called a crisis meeting meeting of regional leaders in Bujumbura on Saturday after Rwanda fired at a Congolese fighter jet and as Rwandan President Paul Kagame threatened to “counter the FDLR threat from the source” – a veiled threat of a possible invasion of Congo by the Rwandan army.

“The main purpose of the meeting is to evaluate the current situation in Eastern DRC with a view of coming up with decisions that will ameliorate the security situation and facilitate the restoration of peace and security in Eastern DRC,” said Ndayishimiye.

In a joint communique issued after the meeting, “The summit reiterated its call to all parties to de-escalate tensions and to use established regional, continental and international mechanisms to resolve any disputes in the implementation of peace in Eastern DRC.” 

The leaders also directed “all local armed groups in Eastern DRC to embrace dialogue, lay down their arms and join the political process as a path towards unconditional disarmament and creation of an enabling environment for participation in upcoming democratic processes.” 

The meeting came high on the heels of intense fighting between DR Congo forces and M23 rebels in North Kivu where officials say both sides have lost hundreds of soldiers and led to displacement of thousands of people to Uganda and Rwanda.

For the last one week, DR Congo’s armed forces have been struggling to dislodge the M23 rebels from the strategic town of Kitchanga and neighboring settlements in vain.

Protests have since broken out in different parts of the country with Congolese demanding that the regional force deployed in Goma counters the rebels or leaves the country. 

This has been interpreted by Rwanda in a sense that DRC seeks to wage war against Rwanda, a move President Kagame has warned would be very dangerous for Kinshasa. 

Regional leaders fear that a full-blown conflict would trigger a humanitarian catastrophe in the Great Lakes region. 

The meeting was graced by Ugandan leader Yoweri Museveni, Congo’s Felix Tshisekedi, Kagame, Kenyan president William Ruto and South Sudan’s EAC Affairs Minister, Hon Deng Alor Kuol. 

In the meeting in Bujumbura, leaders ordered the “withdrawal including all foreign armed groups and directed the chiefs of Defence forces to meet within one week and set new timelines for the withdrawal and recommend appropriate deployment matrix.”

President Felix Tshisekedi graced the function

The leaders also directed that the process of armed forces withdrawing from their positions be “accompanied by dialogue” and “violations be reported to the chairperson of the summit for immediate consultation with members of the summit.”

This means the East African Regional Force cannot take military action against the M23 rebels unless all EAC leaders are in agreement. 

It remains to be seen if DR Congo will hold fire against the rebels who still control strategic areas including Bunagana border town. 

President Tshisekedi faces an election later this year and is under intense political pressure from his diehards to show his ability to defeat M23 rebels on the battlefield.

“The main purpose of the meeting is to evaluate the current situation in Eastern DRC with a view of coming up with decisions that will ameliorate the security situation & facilitate the restoration of peace and security in Eastern DRC,” @GeneralNeva -Chair, EAC/Burundi President pic.twitter.com/mGj3jy8f9Q

— East African Community (@jumuiya) February 4, 2023

Last week, DR Congo expelled two Rwandan military observers from the regional force in Goma, escalating the tensions between the two countries.

In Egypt last year, regional leaders agreed that Kigali deploys only two army officers under the regional force arrangement in Goma. 

DR Congo had opposed the deployment of Rwandan troops. 

The regional leaders yesterday expressed gratitude to Senegal, Angola, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda and Kenya for providing financial support to the peace process.

“The quest for peace in Eastern DRC is a top regional priority,” said EAC Secretary General Peter Mathuki, adding, “The gains of integration can only be realised if peace and security is established throughout the region.” 

The post EAC Meeting: Burundi’s Ndayishimiye Moves Fast to Avert Rwanda-DRC War  first appeared on ChimpReports.