Lawmakers to discuss DRC crisis

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) needs to be more involved with regional efforts aimed at ending the violence in the country’s east.Senator Jean Damascene Bizimana, the Chairperson of Amani Forum Rwanda, made the remarks yesterday while addressing journalists ahead of the forum’s two-day training workshop for regional parliamentarians that will be hosted by Rwanda from October 26 to 28.The workshop will attract over 50 lawmakers from its seven chapters in the Great Lakes that include Rwanda, DRC, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi and Zambia as well as non-members from Angola, Congo Brazzaville, Central African Republic, Sudan and Southern Sudan.They will be discussing the case of armed groups, particularly FDLR and M23, which both operate in Eastern DRC, and the Lord’s Resistance Army that has destabilized peace for decades in Northern Uganda, South Sudan, DRC and the Central African Republic.“We must address the root cause of these armed groups because even if one is disbanded, another crops up immediately. That is why we need DRC to be part of these discussions, so that we can understand why new armed groups keep coming up and the solution to the problem,” Bizimana said.The main objective of the forum is to work towards a conflict-free region and build capacities of parliamentarians in prevention, management and resolution of conflicts”.According to Bizimana, the forum will create a link between the region’s MPs — as representatives of the people — to play a key role in finding solutions to insecurity.“The Great Lakes region has for fifteen years been a hub for tensions that are destabilizing the entire central and eastern Africa. At the regional level, peace agreements between DRC and Rwanda in July 2002 and between DRC and Uganda in September 2002 made it possible to record tangible and significant progress in the security sector. Therefore, we as parliamentarians, have to reassert the importance of dialogue instead of war,” Bizimana said.The Vice-Chairperson of Amani Forum Rwanda, Polisi Denis, echoed the call saying immediate dialogue for solutions to illegal armed groups was necessary because innocent civilians were the victims.“Although the power of FDLR forces has been reduced due to military pressure, the group has significantly increased their level of violence. Therefore, I am of the view that parliamentarians must also increase their active involvement in the fight against violence and contribute towards sustainable peace and development in the region,” Polisi said.The forum will also seek to create a permanent dialogue where regional MPs can meet to find lasting solutions to threats to peace.

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Lawmakers to discuss DRC crisis