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Violence is continuing unabated in the Democratic Republic of Congo, even after the clarion call was given by Pope Francis to maintain peace and harmony in the trouble-torn area
 Violence is continuing unabated in the Democratic Republic of Congo, even after the clarion call was given by Pope Francis to maintain peace and harmony in the trouble-torn area. Following the sporadic violence in the eastern part of the country, regional heads of state, who are actively involved in the security of the Central African Republic, have called for an immediate ceasefire by all parties.
In a communique issued at the conclusion of the East African Community (EAC) summit held in Burundi recently, heads of state called for restraint by all involved parties in de-escalating tensions. There are reports that DRC and Rwanda trade allegations of backing armed rebels.
Secretary General of the EAC, Peter Mathuki, while calling for an immediate ceasefire by all political parties including all foreign armed groups, directed the chief of defence forces of all the partner states of the East African Community to meet urgently within the next one week and set new timelines for the withdrawal. He also called for an appropriate deployment matrix in different parts of the eastern DRC.
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Last month, Rwanda fired on a DRC’s military aircraft, which it alleged to have violated its airspace. DRC accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 armed group, whose origins can be traced to ethnic fighting in the region. However, Rwanda denies backing the M23 and accuses Congo of backing another rebel group operating in the region. The eastern part of DRC is rich in minerals. DRC alleges that Rwanda has an eye on such vast resources.
