Regional force tasked to ensure total eradication of FDLR, splinter groups

The meeting of the Joint Permanent Commission on Rwanda and DR Congo has re-emphasised the need to eradicate FDLR terrorist group and its splinter groups. The meeting, which took place July 20-21, also tasked the East African Community Regional Force to deal with the terror group upon deployment. The commission was established by a ‘roadmap on the pacification process in the eastern region of DR Congo’ which was agreed upon on July 6 during a tripartite summit in Luanda that brought together Presidents Paul Kagame, his DR Congo counterpart Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi and their host, João Lourenço. Rwanda’s delegation to Angola was led by Foreign Affairs Minister, Vincent Biruta, while the DR Congo delegation was led by Christophe Lutundula Apala Pen Apala, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs. In a communique issued by the Commission in Luanda, Angola where the Commission held its first sitting, both Rwanda and DRC together with Angola as the mediator agreed on the deployment of the EAC Regional Force that will be tasked among others, to ensure total eradication of FDLR’s splinter groups including CNRD, FLN, RUD-Urunana, and FPPH-Abajyarugamba. The existence of the FDLR and its affiliates in the DR Congo is the origin of tensions between Rwanda and DRC and plays a major role in the insecurity in Eastern DR Congo. Previously, the roadmap suggested practical modalities to fight the FDLR in coordination with regional mechanisms and blocs which the commission handed to the regional force. Recent tensions between the two countries affected their trade. Some shops belonging to Rwandan traders in the neighbouring Goma were looted and as part of the process to restore trade normalcy between Kigali and Kinshasa, the communique from the joint permanent commission indicates that parties committed to continue pursuing peaceful efforts to facilitate the continuation of trade as well as the management of common borders. The Ministries in charge of trade and immigration of Rwanda and DR Congo will also be meeting soon to ‘revisit all existing agreements, including the agreement on the protection of investments and the cross-border agreement as well as the bilateral agreement of air service.’ Following the recent resurgence of fighting between M23 rebels and the Congolese military together with its allies including FDLR terrorists, Congolese authorities have maintained that the M23 rebel group gets support from Rwanda, a claim the latter has vehemently denied. The group – which was started by mainly former members of the DR Congo military – has also denied any links or getting support from Rwanda. DR Congo announced that they are suspending all trade pacts with Rwanda effective June 16. This came three weeks after DR Congo also suspended Rwandair flights to the country. The agreement in the communique also indicates that revisiting the agreements will be done during meetings that will be held either in Rwanda or DR Congo. On the reactivation of the Joint Intelligence Team Rwanda-DR Congo, the communique indicates that parties agreed to resume regular contact between their respective Defense and Security Services. With regards to the issue of M23, the joint permanent commission referred to the framework of the Nairobi Process.

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Regional force tasked to ensure total eradication of FDLR, splinter groups