Great Lakes countries call for end to fighting in DR Congo

President Museveni’s Principal Private Secretary Grace Akello (2nd L) is shocked after she accidentally brushed Rwanda’s president Paul Kagame at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kampala, yesterday. The Great Lakes leaders resolved to deploy an international force to stop the rebels in eastern DR Congo. PHOTO BY Stephen Ouma Wandera.

What you need to know:

An international force will be deployed to flash out M23 rebels, Lord’s Resistance Army, Allied Democratic forces and FDLR, all operating in eastern Congo.

KAMPALA

The Great Lakes leaders yesterday called for immediate and complete halt to fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that has occurred over the last one month.

The leaders also warned that they would impose sanctions on anybody supporting M23 rebel movement and other rebel groups operating in the vast mineral rich country.
The two-day meeting that took place in Kampala chaired by President Museveni also resolved to form an international neutral force composed of troops from Great Lakes Region that will be deployed in DR Congo to fight all rebel groups.

“The sanctions would include freezing assets of those supporting the rebel groups,” said Foreign Affairs minister Okello Oryem at a press conference after the summit.
Kinshasa government has accused Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels fighting to overthrow President Joseph Kabila.

Defence ministers from DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Angola, Congo Brazzaville and Uganda will start meeting in Goma, DR Congo, this weekend before submitting a report defining the modalities of the force composition, size and nature to President Museveni in two weeks.

Mr Museveni is the current chairperson of the Great Lakes Region countries. The International Conference for Great Lakes Region heads of state meeting will again meet in Kampala in four weeks’ time to discuss the deployment of the force.

Presidents Museveni, Kagame of Rwanda, Kabila of DR Congo, Tanzania’s Jakaya Kikwete, Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi, and Kenya’s vice president Kolonzo Musyoka signed the resolutions.

The leaders also agreed to set up a fund to support victims of the humanitarian crisis in DR Congo with Uganda making the first contribution of $1million (Shs2.4b). When asked whether DR Congo was comfortable with Rwanda being part of the force to be formed, Mr Oryem said both Rwanda and DR Congo have agreed to work together and end the hostilities. “The fact that President Kabila signed the declaration is an indication that he approves the decisions made here,” he said.

However, after the meeting, a man claiming to be Congolese circulated a document to journalists at the venue, accusing Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels. The undated two-page document raised five issues that the Congolese people want addressed.

“The Congolese people demand the suppression of crimes committed by Rwanda in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” it said, “Rwanda has created from scratch the M23 Movement.” But the Mr Oryem said the document does not represent the views of the Congolese government.