photo courtesy of Voice of America.
Seven African heads of state assembled on Thursday in Kinshasa to assess a 2013 agreement aimed at cementing peace in the violence torn by the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework aims at fostering efforts to secure the east and the Great Lakes region.
Millions of people died from violence, disease or starvation in the 1996-7 and 1998-2003 Congo Wars. A conflict that entrapped countries from around east and central Africa.
The Kinshasa summit is the 10th in the series, bringing together presidents of the DRC, South Africa, Uganda, Angola, the Republic of Congo, Burundi and the Central African Republic. The summit was expected to express concern about logistical and the support for other reasons armed groups that remain active in the region.
It would consider DRC and Uganda’s operations against the most notorious groups. The summit would also congratulate improved relations between Rwanda and Uganda and between Rwanda and Burundi after a long period of tension.
This
2013 accord was eventually signed by a total of 11 countries, including Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.The next summit will be hosted in 2023 by Burundi.
