DRC / War in North Kivu: Fruitful discussions between the Presidents of South Africa and Rwanda
The security crisis in eastern DRC, where the Rwandan army and M23 rebels are occupying several localities, was the focus of a discussion between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame during their recent meeting last Saturday.
During these discussions held on the sidelines of the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, the two leaders emphasized the importance of joint efforts and cooperation to find a «peaceful solution» to the conflict in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where South Africa has deployed troops as part of the SADC Mission to support the Congolese army in restoring peace and stability.
In an interview with the press on Sunday before returning to his country, Cyril Ramaphosa encouraged all parties to the conflict to prioritize a «political solution» because, as he pointed out, «the people of the DRC aspire to peace, and likewise, the people of Rwanda aspire to peace».
While Rwanda opposed the South African military intervention in support of the FARDC against the M23-RDF coalition, Ramaphosa hinted that “together, including SADC, we should work towards peace in this region.”
On his part, Paul Kagame, who faced the press on Monday, stated that he hopes his meeting with Cyril Ramaphosa will yield positive results.
«We had a good conversation. We understand exactly what it is and how we can work together to solve it. I am satisfied. We discussed it, and I hope the president was also convinced that we can take steps to find solutions to various problems», he said.
Cyril Ramaphosa’s position aligns with that of the UN Security Council, which, in a statement on April 5, called on all parties to maintain diplomatic dialogue and take concrete steps towards de-escalation.
The UN Security Council expressed its support for all efforts to achieve a cessation of hostilities and particularly welcomed the efforts of Angola’s President and Southern African Development Community (SADC) Chairperson João Lourenço to serve as a mediator between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda through the Luanda process.
Jean-Robert Tchandy
