Ministers drawn from eight EAC member states were in Zanzibar for a three-day retreat to deliberate on ways to foster sustainable peace, enhance security cooperation, and strengthen relationships among partner states. Rwanda was represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, and the Minister of State in charge of Regional Cooperation, James Kabarebe.
The ministers expressed concern over the deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has escalated tension between the DRC and Rwanda.
The two countries have been at loggerheads in recent years over accusations of supporting armed groups to destabilise each other's territories. The Rwandan leadership has often questioned the DRC government's support for the FDLR militia which comprises remnants of the Interahamwe group that perpetrated the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. On the other hand, the DRC government accuses Rwanda of supporting M23 militia, claims the government has refuted.
At the conclusion of the retreat, the ministers issued a joint statement acknowledging that the viable path to sustainable peace and security in eastern DRC is through a political process. They recommended the convening of a summit of the EAC heads of state to breathe new life into the EAC-led Nairobi peace process.
The Nairobi peace process focuses on resolving internal conflict in the DRC, exacerbated by armed groups including the M23 and FDLR. It aims to achieve peace through dialogue between the DRC government and these armed groups operating in the eastern part of the country.
On the other hand, the Luanda process, led by Angolan President João Lourenço, aims to address the external dimension of the conflict, fueled by the militia counter-accusations. The initiative aims to promote the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
As part of efforts to resolve the DRC-Rwanda conflict, foreign ministers from both countries agreed to meet at the earliest opportunity to address the interstate dispute in line with the EAC partner framework.
The EAC also stated that the ministers of Rwanda and Burundi had agreed to meet by October 31, 2024, to discuss issues affecting their bilateral relations, which resulted in Burundi shutting its border with Rwanda earlier this year. President Évariste Ndayishimiye accuses Rwanda of backing the DRC-based armed group Red Tabara against his government, claims the Paul Kagame-led administration has refuted on several occasions.
Meanwhile, the EAC ministers also appreciated the humanitarian truce negotiated by the United States of America and recommended that the truce be extended indefinitely.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
