Siyabonga Mkhwanazi
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has warned about the security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with the resurgence of the violence in the region where the M23 rebels have been locking horns with the government.
He said the security situation has worsened despite a peace agreement that was signed in 2013.
They thought the M23 had been dismantled when the peace deal was signed 10 years ago, but they were surprised about its activities.
Ramaphosa was giving his report on the eastern DRC conflict, as chairperson of the African Union Peace and Security Council, to the AU summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The violence in the region had also claimed the life of a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) member when their helicopter was shot at a few weeks ago. While one soldier was killed another was wounded.
The SANDF is part of the stabilisation force led by the UN mission, Monusco.
Ramaphosa told the AU that they were worried about the deterioration of the situation in the eastern DRC.
He said they thought the peace agreement signed in 2013 would usher in a period of peace and stability but the resurgence of the violence raised serious alarm bells.
“Ten years since it was signed, the eastern DRC continues to experience periodic cycles of conflict and violence. We agree that the volatile security situation in the eastern DRC has gone on for far too long, and is untenable. We cannot but be troubled by this humanitarian catastrophe.
We cannot but be horrified to see people being butchered, women and girls being violated and by the blatant violations of human rights and of the rules of engagement in conflict. The current cycle of violence is even more worrying, and is being fuelled by the resurgence of the armed group M23 that was thought to have been dismantled in 2013/2014,” said Ramaphosa.
He called on all the stakeholders to ensure the implementation of the peace deal in the region.
The situation would not stabilise if not all the parties did not stick to the full implementation of the agreement.
siyabonga.mkhwnazi@inl.co.za
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