PHOTOS: Ministers Nduhungirehe, Kabarebe attend EAC retreat on regional security

Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, and the Minister of State in charge of Regional Cooperation, James Kabarebe, attended an East African Community (EAC) Ministerial Retreat in Zanzibar, Tanzania, that was meant to, among others, consider the worsening security situation in eastern DR Congo. ALSO READ: Kiir’s trip reaffirms commitment to EAC-led Nairobi process to avert deterioration of DR Congo crisis The three-day retreat which kicked off on July 6 brings together all ministers of foreign and EAC affairs from the region, according to a post on X by the ministry of foreign affairs. In the meeting, partner states are to discuss among others the state of regional peace and security as well as regional integration process. A three-day Ministerial Retreat on the EAC State of Peace and Security, Partner States relations and State of EAC Integration Process organized by EAC Secretariat and the United Republic of Tanzania kicks off in Zanzibar.@SGNduva pic.twitter.com/p6mdFHGHZh — East African Community (@jumuiya) July 6, 2024 The ministerial retreat comes a month after Congolese president Félix Tshisekedi boycotted an extraordinary East African Community (EAC) Heads of State Summit held virtually on June 7 that, among others, ushered in the regional bloc’s new Secretary General, Veronica Mueni Nduva. End last week, two years after DR Congo joined the regional bloc, it dispatched Didier Mazenga, its Francophone and Regional Integration minister, to be sworn in as an ex-officio member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA). Mazenga took the oath of office on June 28, hours after a heated debate over the non-remittance of contributions by member states, especially DR Congo. Somalia which joined the EAC in March has paid its full budget contribution dues for the financial year 2024/25, beating the DR Congo, which joined the bloc two years ago and is yet to contribute a cent. ALSO READ: Somalia pays its $7.8m full budget contribution to EAC budget It is only through cooperation and commitment to dialogue that we can overcome peace and security challenges in the region. Let us work together to strengthen our security mechanisms, promote conflict resolution, and foster a culture of peace, said Nduva. I urge us to set aside our differences, have honest dialogues, and work together to find lasting solutions to pertinent issues dragging our regional integration, she told participants at the retreat. Besides the nagging problem of delayed or not paid partner states financial contributions for the EAC budget, there are more serious matters including a never-ending conflict in DR Congo, which involves more than 200 armed groups including the ADF, an Islamist militia group from Uganda, and FDLR, a terrorist genocidal militia linked to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. A Congolese rebel group known as M23 which is battling a weak Congolese army, FARDC, has been making more headlines as it battles and gains more ground against its foes – the Congolese army and its allies including FDLR, European mercenaries, the Burundian army, and a host of other Congolese militia groups backed by Kinshasa. ALSO READ: DR Congo soldiers sentenced to death for fleeing battles against M23 The ever worsening security situation in eastern DR Congo, particularly the increase in hostilities between a government-led coalition and the M23 rebels, has raised fears that the Great Lakes Region could be sunk into a wider conflict. An EAC regional force (EACRF) was deployed to eastern DR Congo, in November 2022, to support an EAC-led peace process that would see the M23 withdraw. ALSO READ: Tshisekedi threatens to kick out EAC force The regional force comprising troops from Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and South Sudan, managed to peacefully secure swathes of territory previously captured by the M23 rebels after their gradual withdrawal. In early 2023, the regional mission’s effort led to a ceasefire from March to September 2023. However, Tshisekedi wanted it to battle the M23 rebels, or if not, leave. In April, the former EACRF force commander, Maj Gen Jeff Nyagah, a Kenyan, resigned citing a threat to his personal security and “a systematic plan to frustrate” the regional force. ALSO READ: Ruto defends EAC mission in DR Congo, says insecurity is a regional concern In December last year, the Congolese government expelled EACRF and replaced it with a SADC mission which is operating under an offensive mandate. In March, President Paul Kagame spoke out on the exit of the EAC Regional Force and the deployment of the SADC mission (SADMIR) in eastern DR Congo, saying he was surprised by the development and “how the countries involved can be involved on such a glaringly wrong side.” ALSO READ: DR Congo leaders repeat threats to attack, ‘annex’ Rwanda President Tshisekedi has, on various occasions, threatened to attack Rwanda which he accuses of supporting M23 rebels. Kigali dismisses the allegations and denounces the collaboration between the Congolese army and the FDLR. Direct engagement and frank discussion this morning in Zanzibar between #DRC's Deputy Foreign Minister @HonGraciaYamba and #Rwanda's Ministers in @RwandaMFA, facilitated by Tanzania and South Sudan, the two co-chairs of the #EACMinisterialRetreat, in the presence of Ministers... pic.twitter.com/uMkM2KL8zg — Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe (@onduhungirehe) July 7, 2024 ALSO READ: Pentagon Leaks: DR Congo banks on FDLR to topple Rwandan govt Tanzania's Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, January Makamba, emphasised the importance of unity among partner states, noting that unity was the catalyst of economic and social development of the region. Makamba said: “We have the responsibility to make sure that the Community works for the people and by the people as directed by the Summit. Makamba said the bloc’s integration agenda can only succeed if peace, stability, and security are established throughout the region. He reminded his colleagues that the EAC Summit directed them to facilitate the implementation of the four pillars of integration - the Customs Union, Common Market, Monetary Union and Political Federation. Makamba urged the ministers to use the retreat to discuss, at length, the various issues affecting the integration process, as one family, and come up with the recommendations that will be in favour of East Africans. Report on partner states' relations During the June 7 Summit, EAC leaders did not look into a report of previous consultative meetings on partner states' relations, by the Chairperson of the Summit, South Sudan President Salva Kiir. After his February 22 working visit in Rwanda, President Kiir on February 23 met with his Burundian counterpart Evariste Ndayishimiye for discussions on the crisis in eastern DR Congo. On June 7, President Paul Kagame hailed the directive by the recent Summit for the convening of a retreat of the EAC Ministers of Foreign and Regional Affairs to deliberate on the report of the consultative meetings by the Chairperson of the Summit on partner states’ relations. ALSO READ: EAC leaders to consider report on partner states' relations A statement issued by the EAC Secretariat, on January 12, encouraged partner states “to deploy peaceful settlement of any disputes and restrain, strictly observing the spirit of our Treaty and particularly on peaceful co-existence and good neighbourliness.” The statement came soon after Burundi’s unilateral decision, on January 11, to close its borders with Rwanda, a development that Kigali regretted. Here is the plan: let's solve our issues quickly and bilaterally!#EACMinisterialRetreat pic.twitter.com/J2cDtqosB8 — Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe (@onduhungirehe) July 6, 2024 Burundi’s decision came less than a month after President Ndayishimiye accused Rwanda of harbouring and supporting members of RED Tabara, a Burundian armed group blamed for an attack that killed 20 people on December 22, 2023, in Gatumba, western Burundi. The Rwandan government dismissed Ndayishimiye's claims on December 29, saying there was no truth whatsoever in his allegations. Diplomatic window is a powerful tool for resolving conflicts, tensions and paradoxes between states pic.twitter.com/LULsjYTS4W — Amb. Albert SHINGIRO (@AShingiro) July 7, 2024 Earlier this year, on January 22, Kigali described as “inflammatory and un-African” comments made by President Evariste Ndayishimiye who blamed Rwanda for insecurity in the region. While in Kinshasa, on January 21, Ndayishimiye said Rwandans needed to “start putting pressure on [their leaders] because I believe that young Rwandans cannot accept being prisoners in the region.”

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PHOTOS: Ministers Nduhungirehe, Kabarebe attend EAC retreat on regional security