SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt
The presidents of Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda as well as the prime minister of the DR Congo have had a High-Level consultative meeting in Egypt to discuss the security situation in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The meeting was held in Sharm
El Sheikh, Egypt, on the side-lines of the meeting of United Nations framework
on Climate Change (COP-27).
The talks led by the current
Chairman of the East African Community, President of Burundi Evariste
Ndayishimiye, comes after his talks with the mediator in the process of peace
talks in eastern Congo held in Bujumbura last week.
The mediator in that capacity
is the former president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta.
Tensions have mounted as the
M23 rebels have advanced in recent weeks, seizing several key towns in the
eastern DR Congo including Kiwanja.
The Democratic Republic of the
Congo accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels who recently captured some
areas in eastern Congo and
expelled the Rwandan ambassador about a week ago, while Rwanda accuses the DRC
of supporting a group of Rwanda fighters of the FDLR, who are accused of
carrying out attacks in areas close to the border inside Rwanda. Each side
denies the allegations.
On Monday, Rwanda accused the
DRC of sending its military aircraft into Rwanda and condemned the act as an
act of aggression. The DRC admitted to importing the plane, but said it had no
malicious intent.
Representatives from the two
countries met over the weekend in Angola where they agreed to “maintain
dialogue.” Other peace talks are expected to resume in Kenya next week.
However, Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said representatives of
M23 will not be allowed to take part unless conditions are met.
Burundi, Uganda, and Kenya
have sent their forces to eastern Congo to deal with the rebel groups that have
been destabilizing security in the area for nearly three decades.
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