Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for an end to the conflict in the war-torn region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“South Africa has noted with concern the report on the deteriorating security situation in the eastern DRC. We condemn the activities of the illegal armed groups and call upon the groups and their sponsors to cease their activities immediately.
“The war has persisted for far too long and it is our firm belief that the people of the DRC deserve peace and development,” Ramaphosa said.
He was speaking following the conclusion of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Extraordinary Organ Troika Summit Plus and Force Intervention Brigade Troop Contributing Countries in Namibia on Monday.
Armed groups have plagued much of eastern DRC for three decades, a legacy of regional wars that flared in the 1990s and 2000s.
The militia group, M23, has captured swathes of territory in North Kivu since taking up arms in late 2021 after years of dormancy.
The DRC accuses its smaller central African neighbour Rwanda of supporting the M23, an assessment backed by US and French officials as well as UN experts.
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But Rwanda has repeatedly denied supporting the Tutsi-led rebels who are still present in North Kivu and occasionally clash with rival militias.
Both Rwanda and DRC are signatories to the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework (PSC) signed in Addis Ababa in 2013 and backed by the UN and African Union that was eventually endorsed by 13 nations.
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, the conflict between armed groups and government troops has triggered the displacement of more than 800 000 people since March last year.
Ramaphosa said South Africa is ready to assist in efforts to bring peace to the region.
“South Africa stands ready to contribute to the development of effective regional instruments that could assist to stabilise the current security situation prevailing in the eastern DRC. We therefore support the need for long-term planning to be ingrained in the SADC Peace and Security Architecture,” he said.
The Presidency said the conflict is receiving “sharp focus” not only at the SADC’s summit but also from the African Union and other regional bodies.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
Additional reporting by AFP
