Cyril Ramaphosa calls for collective responsibility for lasting peace..

The South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, praised on Monday the decision of the joint SADC-EAC summit to relaunch direct negotiations between all stakeholders in the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including the armed group M23. This initiative, integrated into the peace processes in Luanda and Nairobi, represents, according to him, a “major step forward” towards a sustainable resolution of the security crisis that has been ravaging the region for over three decades.

Cyril Ramaphosa, one of the closest allies of Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi, expressed his satisfaction with the adoption of this inclusive approach by regional leaders. “If all parties to the conflict are not brought to the negotiating table, no diplomatic solution will be credible or viable in the long term”, he said, emphasizing the need to involve both state and non-state actors in the dialogue.

The summit, held in Tanzania, also reiterated the call for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians trapped in the fighting. Furthermore, a meeting of the defense forces of the SADC and EAC is scheduled within five days to develop a plan to secure Goma and its surroundings, as well as to reopen the city’s airport and facilitate the evacuation of civilians.

Ramaphosa highlighted that the summit reaffirmed the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the DRC, while calling for the withdrawal of uninvited foreign armed forces. “These confidence-building measures are essential to achieving lasting peace and will ultimately lead to the withdrawal of SAMIDRC troops”, he added, calling the meeting “historic”.

As a member of the SADC and the African Union, South Africa is committed to supporting all efforts to bring peace and stability to the DRC. Cyril Ramaphosa called on all parties to show responsibility and work together to end this devastating conflict. “Diplomacy remains the most sustainable path to resolve this conflict, and every actor has a crucial role to play”, he concluded, hoping that these advancements would pave the way for lasting peace in eastern DRC.