AU Summit: Conflict in Eastern DRC discussed at tripartite meeting

Last day, this Sunday, February 18, of the 37th summit of heads of state and government of the African Union in Addis Ababa. The question of the rotating presidency, for this year, was resolved with the appointment of the Mauritanian Mohamed Ould Ghazouani. The participants are now trying to move forward on other complex issues, including the violence in eastern DRC.

DRC President Félix Tshisekedi upon his arrival at the 37th AU summit in Addis Ababa, February 17, 2024. AFP - MICHELE SPATARI

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With our special correspondent in Addis Ababa,

Sidy Yansané

Among the complex issues is the conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is experiencing renewed violence on the Rwandan border. The Congolese, South African and Burundian presidents met this Sunday morning.

Congolese President, Félix Tshisekedi, spoke with his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa and his Burundian counterpart, Evariste Ndayishimiye, at the Hyatt hotel, on the sidelines of the summit. This tripartite meeting aimed to take stock of the deployment of troops from the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Read alsoThe 37th AU summit opens against a backdrop of multiple crises in Africa and internationally

Elements of this regional military force were sent at the end of last year to the city of Goma, currently surrounded by M23 rebels. It was South African soldiers who arrived first to support the Congolese army in this conflict. Pretoria also announced this week that two of its soldiers had fallen in combat around the town of Sake. Burundi also sent reinforcements to the area, as part of a bilateral agreement with the DRC.

According to the Congolese presidency, the meeting of the three heads of state served to define better coordination of operations on the ground, while at the start of the weekend,

Goma airport was attacked

by drones which targeted Congolese army aircraft. The latter accuses neighboring Rwanda of being behind this attack which caused only minor damage.

Last night, the United States strongly condemned the escalation of violence caused by the M23, which it says is supported by Rwanda, and called on the armed group to withdraw from Goma and Sake. The Americans also directly called on Kigali “

to immediately withdraw all Rwandan Defense Force personnel from the DRC and to withdraw its surface-to-air missile systems.

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Read alsoMauritania takes the rotating presidency of the African Union, ending months of blockage

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