International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola has called on the Republic of Rwanda to pull its troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Image: File
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola did not mince his words regarding the degenerating situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) when he addressed the Meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council.
IOL reported on Tuesday that four more soldiers died in the eastern DRC in combat against M23 rebels. The SA National Defence Force (SANDF) confirmed the death of the four servicemen on Tuesday, bringing the death toll this month to 13.
Lamola told the African Union meeting that the current security situation in the eastern DRC is “utterly appalling and unacceptable”.
The minister pointed his fingers at DRC’s neighbour, the Republic of Rwanda.
President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame.
Image: EPA-EFE
“South Africa strongly condemns the recent activities of the M23 rebel group in North Kivu province which have now affected Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, and surrounding areas. We would also like to condemn Rwanda for its support of the M23 as clearly proven by various United Nations reports of experts,” said Lamola.
“We therefore call upon Rwanda to cease its support to the M23 and for its forces to withdraw from the DRC. The unauthorised presence of the Rwanda Defence Forces in eastern DRC is in violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC.”
Lamola said the Peace and Security Council, as the standing decision-making organ of the African Union for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts on the continent, the council must redouble its efforts to stop the carnage and the worsening humanitarian situation in the eastern DRC.
He said there must be practical efforts that should be urgently undertaken by the AU’s Peace and Security Council to resolve the current situation.
“South Africa has been doing its level best to bring about much needed peace and stability in the eastern DRC through the deployment of peacekeepers under the auspices of both the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC),” said Lamola, who is former minister of justice and correctional services in South Africa.
“In this connection, I sadly wish to state that the recent violence by the M23 with the support of Rwanda has led to the unfortunate deaths of 13 of our patriots who paid an ultimate sacrifice in our efforts to silencing the guns in the eastern DRC to bring about peace and stability that the Congolese people have been yearning for over three decades. The 13 warriors were part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) contingent deployed as part of the SAMIDRC and MONUSCO.”
Pretoria’s top diplomat has called upon the Congolese and Rwandan governments to resuscitate talks in the context of the Luanda Peace Process facilitated by President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço of Angola.
João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola.
Image: United Nations
“In the meantime, we demand that M23 must immediately cease all its armed activities and withdraw from all territories that they occupy to prevent further loss of lives. We would like to reiterate that military action is not the only solution in Congo, therefore, there must be a political dialogue that would address all concerns by the parties in conflict. It is evident that the current conflict in the eastern DRC will not stop without the concerns of both the DRC and Rwanda being addressed through mediation and negotiations,” he said.
South Africa has also requested “more support” from the African Union.
“We would like to request that the AU Peace and Security Council should prioritise the support towards SAMIDRC when disbursing funds through the Crisis Reserve Fund of the Peace Fund. Currently, this mission requires urgent financial and material support to overcome the current situation in the DRC. We also wish to call upon the United Nations to provide more support to SAMIDRC in line with Resolutions 2719 and 2717,” said Lamola.
He added that reality is that much more still needs to be done to ‘silence the guns’ in Africa.
To achieve this noble goal, Lamola said Africa must show zero-tolerance to current and emerging conflicts and redouble efforts to resolve them.
“We also need to take decisive action for those who are fuelling these deadly conflicts. South Africa remains fully committed to its peacekeeping responsibilities under the auspices of MONUSCO and SAMIDRC. Our troops continue to operate with resolve, courage and discipline in pursuit of peace and stability in the region but urgently need support from our partners, especially this august body,” he said.
On Monday, the department of defence said the M23 rebels launched several mortar bombs in the direction of Goma Airport, which landed in the SANDF base, resulting in the SANDF losing three members.
"Furthermore, the SANDF is also saddened to announce that one of our members who was injured during the battle with M23 rebels over the past three days later succumbed to injuries."
The department said that the rest of the injured members continued to receive medical attention at the Level 3 Hospital in Goma.
Slain SANDF soldier Louis Calvin Moagi, 28, was his family's primary breadwinner and a loving father.
Image: Supplied
"The SANDF remains fully committed to its peacekeeping responsibilities under the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo and SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo," the department said.
"Our troops continue to operate with resolve, courage, and discipline in pursuit of peace and stability in the region."
The latest deaths have raised the death toll of South African soldiers in the vast Central African country to 13 this month.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL
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