Regional leaders call on armed groups in DR Congo to cease hostilities

During their meeting in Uganda on Wednesday, May 28, regional heads of state and government leaders called on armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) to unconditionally cease hostilities.

Following the 12th High-Level Meeting of the Regional Oversight Mechanism of the Peace, Security, and Cooperation (PSC) Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the area, a press release was released on Wednesday.

Foreign armed organizations operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo should voluntarily disarm and get ready to return to their own countries, the leaders stated in the communique.

Additionally, they asked PSC framework signatories to uphold their pledges to protect neighboring nations’ sovereignty and territorial integrity and refrain from harboring or aiding armed groups or persons who are suspected of committing crimes against humanity, war crimes, or genocide.

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda held the summit in the State House in Entebbe, which is roughly 40 kilometers from Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Museveni stated during the opening session that the DR Congo’s problems could be handled regionally with little help from outside parties. He claimed that the problem had been made worse by the reliance on foreign forces at the expense of regional stakeholders and Congolese citizens’ voices.

The necessity of nations upholding collective decisions was also emphasized by Sghair Said, the high representative of the African Union (AU) for the Great Lakes Region.

He added that there are a number of ongoing regional, AU, and international initiatives aimed at ending the crisis in DR Congo that must be coordinated under a single framework. “We should be more determined and show more solidarity because by taking concrete diplomatic engagement and honoring them, sustainable peace in the Great Lakes region will be achieved,” he said.