Saturday’s joint East African Community (EAC)/Southern African Development Community (SADC) eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) summit, apart from calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, gave the regional blocs defence force chiefs five days to come up with “technical direction”.
This, a joint communique has it issued post the Dar es Salaam summit, will involve five specifics with an all-encompassing “advise on other related facilitative interventions” to cover all bases for the east and southern African defence force chiefs.
Number one on the specifics list is “technical direction” for the immediate cessation of hostilities and implementation of a ceasefire, followed by ensuring humanitarian assistance including evacuation of wounded and repatriation of the dead. Number three tasks the generals to develop “a securitisation plan” for Goma and surrounding areas with number four the re-opening of supply routes to and from Goma as well as navigation on Lake Kivu to and from the North Kivu capital. The “immediate re-opening” of Goma International Airport is, along with the “related facilitative interventions”, the remaining to-do for the top military men and women from the regional economic blocs.
Additionally, the joint communique, “emphasised” political and diplomatic engagement remains the “most sustainable solution” to the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC.
Other points in the communique call for the resumption of direct negotiation with “all state and non-state parties, military and non-military including M23 (Mouvement du 23 Mars)” and implementation of a concept of operations (CONOPS). This is explained as “a harmonised plan for the neutralisation of FDLR (Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda)” and lifting “Rwanda’s defensive measures/disengagement of forces from DRC as agreed in the Luanda process”.
Follow-up will be within 30 days for a joint EAC/SADC ministers’ meeting. It will receive report back from the commanders of defence forces on the ceasefire and end of hostilities; establish “a secretariat level technical co-ordination mechanism” to monitor implementation; as well as “elaborate a roadmap”. This, the communique has it, will detail immediate, medium and long term implementation measures, with finance specifically mentioned.
In conclusion, the communique states “the joint summit directed that modalities for withdrawal of uninvited foreign armed forces from the territory of the DRC be developed and implemented”.
The conflict in the DRC last month claimed the lives of 14 South African National Defence Force members in addition to soldiers from other SADC countries who were part of a peacekeeping mission in the DRC.
Furthermore, the United Nations reports that the crisis has also killed 3 000 people and injured at least 2 800 others since 26 January.
