- The EAC Nairobi process concludes with short-term peace goals for the DRC.
- Armed militia groups to free child soldiers and victims of sexual violence, are for help.
- The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo is tasked with engaging the approximately 140 militia groups that operate in communities.
The release of child soldiers, rehabilitation and care for victims of sexual violence were some of the resolutions adopted at the third Inter-Congolese Dialogue on the restoration of peace in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which ended on Tuesday. .
In a statement, the East African Community (EAC), which led the Nairobi process, said the facilitator, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, met with armed groups, civil society and victims of sexual violence.
From the meetings, it was agreed that community leaders, DRC government officials and EAC officials should form a committee to “facilitate the release of prisoners with no criminal record of atrocities or criminal convictions.”
One of the many grievances in the DRC, where around 140 armed militias operate, is the resource curse and as such people in areas such as national parks were called upon to be part of conservation and sustainable economic activities.
The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, was asked to involve communities in ecological and conservation projects.
In Maniema province, the EAC agreed that Tshisekedi should meet with local leaders to “discuss how the community can participate in and benefit from the mining industry in the region.”
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Armed groups control a significant part of the DRC’s natural resources. It was suggested that to avoid a flare-up that could escalate into conflict, rebel leaders should be considered as interested parties.
Tshisekedi has the enormous task of consulting the 145 “territories” in the eastern DRC so that they have the same opportunities as the rest of the country.
These territories belong to local militia groups.
You will also need to engage with the international community to help you keep the peace in the DRC.
For now, the priority was the release of child soldiers by all armed militias while the cessation of hostilities continued. It was said that humanitarian assistance should soon start flowing to communities that had been cut off by the conflict.
A review of the targets set in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, and Goma, the capital of North Kivu, will take place in January.
From there, a medium and long-term roadmap will be launched.
News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained in this document do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
