NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 4 – Rwanda has welcomed the joint East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit slated for Saturday, stressing that the intervention is “long overdue.”
Speaking on the Capital in the Morning on Monday, Rwanda’s Spokesperson Yolanda Makolo said the extraordinary session is a game-changing opportunity for the two regional blocs to mediate both a short-term and long-term solution to the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The meeting will mark the first time that President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and his DRC counterpart, Félix Tshisekedi, will be at the same forum since M23 rebels captured Goma.
“This is an opportunity that we should take seriously so that things, once and for all, start turning for the better,” Makolo told Capital in the Morning.
Makolo also noted that such an intervention should have taken place before the withdrawal of the East African Community Regional Force (EAC-RF) and the subsequent deployment of SADC forces.
She insisted that there is no military solution to the conflict, maintaining Kigali’s stance that consensus-building is the only way to end the hostilities that have lasted for over three decades.
Makolo emphasized that Rwanda desires “this stability more than anyone else.”
“We [Rwanda] have attended every meeting that has been organized to resolve this issue. We have always made ourselves available, we have always kept the lines of dialogue open, and we will continue to do so,” she said.
‘Real willingness’
She added that conflict in the Great Lakes region is an impediment to development and progress.
“Kigali, like other countries, cannot achieve its ambitions without stability in the region,” she stated.
“We are a very ambitious country, but we cannot work on these ambitions and targets that we have for the people of Rwanda if we don’t have peace. It is long overdue.”
“The people of this region have suffered enough.”
Makolo further pointed out that Kigali expects the EAC and SADC blocs to work together to achieve stability in the region.
Additionally, the Rwandan spokesperson called on member states to “show real willingness to pursue the path to a political solution” to the conflict.
She maintained that roadmaps to peace have existed for over 20 years, emphasizing that “what should be done is known.”
“It is now up to these African countries to hold each other accountable so that what is agreed upon is implemented.”
According to Makolo, the first step in demonstrating political will is ensuring that the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebel group is neutralized so they no longer pose a threat to Rwanda and neighboring communities.
“This means the refugees who are scattered in the DRC, Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya can return home safely and with dignity, without the fear of being attacked. Why should they languish in camps?”
Joint Summit
On Monday, President William Ruto confirmed that he will co-chair the summit with Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa following SADC’s acceptance of the EAC’s request on Friday.
SADC agreed to the EAC’s request during a summit hosted by Mnangagwa in Harare, which discussed the M23 rebel group’s takeover of the city of Goma. This development had prompted Ruto to convene EAC leaders on Thursday.
EAC Heads of State had proposed a joint session during a virtual summit hosted by President Ruto.
While confirming the joint summit, President Ruto said his Tanzanian counterpart, Samia Suluhu Hassan, had agreed to host regional leaders in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.
He added that President Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda had confirmed their attendance at the meeting, which will be preceded by a ministerial session on Friday.
Ruto also confirmed the participation of President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia.
The much-anticipated joint summit comes amid heightened tensions between Kigali and Kinshasa over M23’s advances in eastern DRC, with Tshisekedi accusing Kagame of supporting the rebels.
The Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23) has since announced a ceasefire starting Tuesday, citing humanitarian concerns arising from ongoing hostilities in eastern DRC.
In a statement issued on Monday, the M23 rebel group accused the Kinshasa regime of exacerbating the crisis.
The Rwanda-backed group condemned the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) for allegedly using military aircraft at Kavumu Airport to load bombs targeting areas under M23 control.
“We condemn the FARDC’s continued use of military aircraft at Kavumu Airport, where they load bombs that kill our compatriots in liberated areas,” the statement read.
The rebel group clarified that it had no intention of advancing into Bukavu or other areas after capturing Goma.
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