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- Seven African heads of state gathered in Kinshasa recently to review a 2013 agreement aimed at cementing peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s east and the Great Lakes region to foster peace and solidarity so as to stabilize the development needs of the region
- The region witnessed several violent outbreaks that killed millions of people between 1996-1997 and 1998-2003 during the Congo Wars
Seven African heads of state gathered in Kinshasa recently to review a 2013 agreement aimed at cementing peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s east and the Great Lakes region to foster peace and solidarity so as to stabilize the development needs of the region.
The region witnessed several violent outbreaks that killed millions of people between 1996-1997 and 1998-2003 during the Congo Wars. The 10th Kinshasa summit was attended by the presidents of the DRC, South Africa, Uganda, Angola, the Republic of Congo, Burundi and the Central African Republic.
The summit expressed concerns about logistical and other support for armed groups that remain active in the region. The Summit had taken note of joint DRC-Ugandan operations against the most notorious group, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
The historic operation was launched in the border area late last November. The operation was undertaken as a sequel to a string of massacres in eastern DRC and bomb attacks in the Ugandan capital Kampala. The summit expressed satisfaction over improved relations between Rwanda and Uganda and between Rwanda and Burundi, which were at loggerheads and had a long period of tension. The 2013 accord was signed by a total of 11 countries, including Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia. It was also decided that the next summit will be hosted in 2023 by Burundi.
