Eastern Congo peace key to regional stability, says Kalonzo

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Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka follows proceedings during the opening ceremony of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region in Munyonyo Speke Resort, Uganda August 7, 2012. On the right is Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila. The VP said August 8, 2012 that peace in Eastern Congo is of great importance to Kenya and the greater region. VPPS 

By VPPS
Posted  Wednesday, August 8  2012 at  16:51

A return to stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda is of great importance to Kenya and the greater region, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has said.

Mr Musyoka urged the international community to support measures agreed on during the ongoing Great Lakes Summit in Uganda Wednesday.

"We are keen to ensure that normalcy returns to Eastern Congo because the humanitarian crisis there has serious regional security, commercial and political implications” said Mr Musyoka, who is representing President Kibaki at the summit.

Five presidents from the region deliberated late into the night at Munyonyo Resort in Kampala, Uganda and during Wednesday's sessions a raft of measures were agreed on.

The measures are expected to bring to an end to the hostilities that threaten to put Rwanda and the DRC at loggerheads and endanger regional stability.

The steps agreed upon by Presidents Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Joseph Kabila (DRC), Pierre Nkurunziza (Burundi) and Rwanda's Paul Kagame include immediate cessation of hostilities, creation of a humanitarian corridor to allow the transport of food and other relief items to displaced persons and creation of a fund to facilitate the operationalisation of the resultant peace agreement.

Sue for peace

Mr Musyoka said the verification mechanism intended to consolidate the gains made at integrating the groups into society needs to be expanded and strengthened.

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The leaders agreed that there was need to reach out to the rebel groups in the DRC and Rwanda with the view of persuading them to sue for peace.

The Defence ministers of Uganda, Rwanda, DRC, Burundi, Congo and Angola were instructed to immediately meet and concretise proposals and actions that will lead to a permanent solution to the long running conflict in the Eastern DRC affecting South and North Kivu.

The ministers are to report back to the chairman of the initiative, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, in two weeks and to a Heads of State and Government summit to be convened in four weeks.

The summit also agreed to revive the special envoys arrangement where former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa and former Nigeria leader Olesegun Obasajjo had been nominated to engage all parties and oversee a peace process.

Warm ties

On the sidelines of the summit, Mr Musyoka held closed-door talks with Presidents Kikwete, Kagame Kabila and Museveni.

The meeting with President Kagame lasted for one hour and deliberated on various regional issues including trade, security and environmental conservation.

The talks with President Kikwete dwelt on the warm ties between Kenya and Tanzania and the critical role each nation plays in the other’s economy as well as regional integration.

President Kabila told Mr Musyoka that DRC was consolidating her democratic practice and needed the support of its neighbours to stabilise some of the regions experiencing conflict.

While meeting with President Museveni, Mr Musyoka emphasised the need for increasing trade volumes between the two countries and expansion of the manufacturing capacity of local industries in order to create job opportunities for the youth.

The VP is accompanied by Foreign Affairs assistant minister Richard Onyonka, Imenti Central MP Cyrus Muriuki and Kenya’s High Commissioner to Uganda Major General (rtd) Okanga.