The quadripartite summit of Wednesday, August 21 in Luanda, extended to the president of the CIRGL, Denis Sassou Nguesso, gave birth to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ugandan and Rwandan Presidents. Heads of State of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, Angola Joao Lourenço, Rwanda Paul Kagame and Ugandan Yoweri Kaguta Museveni reviewed the implementation of the first quadripartite held on July 12, 2019.
It shows that the joint facilitation mission conducted jointly by the coordinator of the National Monitoring Mechanism, Claude Ibalanky Ekolomba, and an Angolan official on Rwandan and Ugandan lands, under the impetus of the Congolese and Angolan Heads of State, carried out his fruits.
The Memorandum of Understanding that the two sides reached in Luanda in the presence of the Presidents of Angola, Joao Lourenço, DRC, Felix Tshisekedi and Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso is a strong signal sent to the attention of all country of the region.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame hailed the « wise counsel » provided by Felix Tshisekedi and Joao Lourenço, thanks to which Rwanda and Uganda put an end to the dispute between them by signing a peace agreement. After the ceremony, President Kagame said he did not expect any problem in his « more precise cooperation with President Museveni to deal with what we committed ourselves to deal with. »
Prior to the signing of the Memorandum, relations between Rwandan presidents Paul Kagame and Ugandan Yoweri Museveni have deteriorated in recent months, following mutual accusations. This resulted in Kigali closing the Gatuna border crossing between Rwanda and Uganda.
This is why the initiative of Félix Tshisekedi and Joao Lourenço is to be commended to the extent that the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the parties will have a significant contribution to reinforce the new dynamic aimed at stabilizing the region, given that Rwanda and the Uganda each play a significant role in the pacification of eastern DRC and stability in the Great Lakes region.
Security and stability in the sub-region
It should be noted that the Luanda summit is the result of the diplomatic initiative of President Felix Tshisekedi. It was launched on May 31, 2019 in Kinshasa, as part of the tripartite summit between the heads of state of Angola, Rwanda and the DRC, after which the parties resolved to work jointly for the security in the DRC as well as stability throughout the region.
To meet the challenge, the integration of Uganda into this framework of exchanges was necessary because, experts say, the tensions between Kigali and Kampala could in no way facilitate peace in the Great Lakes region, let alone a mobilization of the whole region to achieve the goals set by the tripartite.
It was then that the tripartite led to the quadripartite summit between the heads of state and government of Angola, Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC, held in Luanda (Angola) on July 12 in the desire to promote inter alia the dialogue between Rwanda and Uganda, a prerequisite for the pacification of eastern DRC and regional stability.
Felix Tshisekedi therefore has an interest in bringing the two protagonists together as long as the tensions between Kampala and Kigali were likely to reignite fire to the insecure situation that the DRC is experiencing in its eastern part, bordering Rwanda and Uganda, more possible battles between the two countries by armed groups interposed on Congolese soil.
Sustainable peace, a goal to be achieved
Rwanda repeatedly accused Uganda of supporting armed groups active in eastern DRC, thus undermining Kinshasa’s power. Fearing the effects of marginalization of a DRC initiative that engages Uganda and Rwanda, with the support of Angola, the Republic of Congo, which is leading the ICGLR, has joined this framework. which thus becomes enlarged to five Heads of State.
Basically, the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Paul Kagame and Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is just one step in the process of neutralizing armed groups and developing subregional cooperation. To keep the flame of peace alive, Presidents Tshisekedi and Lorenço should continue to offer their good offices to Uganda and Rwanda for the effective implementation of this Memorandum of Understanding.
In March 2018, Paul Kagame and Yoweri Museveni signed a cooperation agreement in Uganda to formalize the normalization of their diplomatic relations. However, the two countries failed to meet this challenge.
In perspective, the tripartite muted quadripartite, then expanded to five, projects on the summit of heads of state and government of the signatory countries of the Framework Agreement for peace, security and cooperation for the DRC and the region, scheduled for next October in Kinshasa.
This Framework Agreement, signed on February 24, 2013 in Addis Ababa, aims to promote the resolution of the root causes of the cycles of violence in eastern DRC and the Region. Six years after signing the Framework Agreement with national, regional and international commitments, the results on the ground remain mixed.
All in all, the aim of President Tshisekedi’s diplomatic initiative is to give new impetus to the quest for peace, security and stability by advocating dialogue among the countries of the region. This, in particular to restore relevance to the Addis Ababa Framework Agreement.
Experts attest that President Felix Tshisekedi’s strategy for restoring and consolidating peace and security is threefold. Capacity building of security and defense forces, promotion of national reconciliation between local communities and regional diplomacy.
All in all, the new dynamic in cooperation between the DRC and the other countries of the five-way exchange framework gives a role to Kinshasa, under which it should work, jointly with Angola, to accompany Uganda and Rwanda. in the materialization of this agreement, which is necessary for security in eastern DRC and for regional stability.
Kinshasa prepares the Summit of Heads of State of the region
After the Angola-Uganda-Rwanda-DRC quadripartite summit held on July 12 in Luanda, a joint mission was initiated by the Angolan and Congolese presidents to the Rwandan and Ugandan authorities, with a view to reconciliation between them.
For the DRC, it is the coordinator of the National Monitoring Mechanism and High Representative of the Head of State at the Regional Follow-up Mechanism, Claude Ibalanky Ekolomba, who has been dispatched as High Special Envoy of President Felix Tshisekedi to lead facilitation.
This end diplomat field, looking like a reserved, just won a bet that is, no doubt, the honor of President Felix Tshisekedi. After this challenge, Claude Ibalanky will face the challenge of organizing the summit of heads of state and government of thirteen countries signatories of the Addis Ababa Framework Agreement, scheduled for next October in Kinshasa.
On this occasion, the parties will have to express their level of commitment for the pacification of eastern DRC and the stabilization of the sub-region.
Olivier KAMO