March 28, 2024

TOP AFRICA NEWS

We Digest News to tell the Truth

Here are Issues discussed during ICGLR Meeting

Heads of State of the two sub-regional organizations met on 26 December in Brazzaville, on the initiative of Congolese President Denis Sassou N’Guesso and his Namibian counterpart, Hage G. Geingob, to try to mitigate the tension currently prevailing in the neighboring country, three days of the polls postponed until December 30.

After exchanging views on the political and security situation in the Great Lakes regions and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the heads of state “reaffirmed the importance of peace, security and stability in these regions”.

Referring to the thorny problem of the electoral process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the leaders of the two subregions expressed their concern over the violence that has marked the electoral campaign in some localities of the country.

To this end, they recalled the need to implement the various commitments made in the framework of the Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region and the Framework Agreement for Peace, Security and development in the DRC and the Great Lakes region.

In addition, they welcomed the commitment of the electoral process and the opening of the political space in this country.

They therefore “strongly” condemned the violence perpetrated in eastern DRC by armed groups against the civilian population and the forces of the United Nations Observer Mission.

The heads of state urged “the DRC government to continue to ensure the safety of all candidates involved in the election campaign”.

In the field of health, the fight against the Ebola epidemic was also invited to this round table. On this, the heads of state asked the international community to support the authorities of the country, while expressing their solidarity with the victims of this disease in the region of Beni.

Vandalism during the election campaign, including the burning of part of the election material, was strongly condemned. For the politicians and civil society, participants in the Brazzaville meeting appealed for appeasement after noting the postponement of presidential, national and provincial elections.

At this sensitive time, the heads of state have “reiterated their commitment and their willingness to accompany the DRC”.

To bind the word to the act, they decided to dispatch to Kinshasa, from December 27, a delegation composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Congo, representing ICGLR (International Conference on the Great Lakes Region) and Zambia , on behalf of SADC, to report to President Joseph Kabila Kabange of the summit’s conclusions.

The Brazzaville meeting brought together the heads of state of Namibia, Hage Geingob, current president of SADC; from Angola, Joao Laurenço; Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi; from Zambia, Edgar Lungu. Three countries closely monitoring the situation in the DRC were represented, namely Rwanda by its Foreign Minister, Uganda and South Africa by diplomats.

While the heads of state of ICGLR and SADC were in conclave, the Independent National Electoral Commission of the DRC issued a communiqué announcing the postponement of the vote in the two constituencies, including those of Beni in North Kivu and of Yumbi in Mai-Ndombe province, in March 2019, for security and health reasons.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Leave a Reply

TOPAFRICANEWS.COM © All rights reserved.