KIGALI - Diplomats accredited to Kigali yesterday said the move by the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda to exchange Ambassadors marks a turning point in stabilising the region.

Nicholas Cannon, British Ambassador to Rwanda said the British government sees the exchange of Ambassadors between Kigali and Kinshasa as a "very helpful development.”

In an e-mail to The NewTimes last evening, Cannon explained that the move sends an important message that the countries of the region and international community are united in demanding the end of the FDLR threat.

 "The FDLR and other disruptive elements in the eastern Congo will now disarm, demobilise and reintegrate back into the communities from which they came,” he wrote.

The FDLR is group made up of elements mostly responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and have been in Congolese jungles for the last 15 years.

"The improved relationship between Rwanda and the DRC opens up new opportunities, not just for cooperation against the negative forces, but also for enhanced economic, business and people-to-people links to the benefit of the Great Lakes region,” Cannon added.

On her part, the representative of the International Conference on the Great lakes Region (ICGLR) Ambassador Liberata Mulamula noted that the renewed commitment between the two countries will ensure stability in the region.

"The tension in the region can only be resolved through diplomatic channels,” Mulamula noted in a telephone interview.

She said she was optimistic that the two countries will work out a mechanism to end the threat of FDLR.

Currently, Mulamula explained that the major obstacle to end FDLR threat is the fact that Congolese’ soldiers have no capacity to deal with threat.

"But I want to say that the region is happy. Personally, I believe the new commitment will hold,” Mulamula said.

Joe Felli, the Liason Officer for the United Nations peacekeeping mission in DR Congo (Monuc) based in Kigali said the new developments were a positive process in cementing relations between the two nations.

"This is a positive gesture and good for Rwanda, DR Congo and the rest of the region,” Felli said yesterday.

When contacted for a comment yesterday, DR Congo’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Alex Tambwe Mwamba, said he would comment over the matter after Kigali has approved their proposed Ambassador.

The DRC has already approved the newly appointed Rwandan Ambassador to DRC, Amandin Rugira, as the two nations continue to mend their strained diplomatic relations.

Kinshasa has proposed Norbert Nkulu Kilombo Mitumba as its new envoy to Kigali.

Rugira told The NewTimes that his confirmation came about 10 days ago and he will be leaving for Kinshasa as soon as logistical arrangements are finalized.

"This shows that our relations with the DRC are very good and after the exchange of Ambassadors, we hope the relationship will be strengthened further,” Rugira was quoted on Monday.

Efforts to get comments from the US Embassy whose government has been instrumental in the "Tripartite Plus” initiative were fruitless.  

Ends