DRC: The former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta expresses his preoccupation about the deescalation process in the east
The former president of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, the Community of East African States (EAC) facilitator for peace in the eastern DRC, raised concerns about the deescalation process that he leads.
At the end of his stay in Goma, he actually observed that the terms of the Nairobi conclaves, which had been approved by all the EAC heads of state, that the fighting forces would remain in the starting positions of the Nairobi Conclaves were not honoured by the rebel groups and their supporters. The M23 seized Rutshuru centre, Kiwanja and moved closer to the Kibumba area.
The facilitator of EAC is prudent and does not hide his concerns about the process going forward. He observed, he said in a statement, that the humanitarian crisis that is currently unfolding is the result of noncompliance with the recommendations agreed in Nairobi at the conference of heads of state Conclaves.
Moreover the former Kenyan president remarked that this could undermine the military component of the Nairobi Peace Process, which is based on everyone keeping their posts to allow the East African Regional Force to step in.
Uhuru Kenyatta called for an early resolution of the situation in order to enable it to fully engage in the political process.
On the humanitarian plan, he called on the international community, humanitarian organisations such as UNICEF, WFP, IOM, OCHA, respond with urgency and in an efficient way.
Miss OLY