The foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, organised under the G7 forum, have called for “good faith” from all participants involved in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) peace process. The G7 brings together seven of the world’s leading advanced economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. ALSO READ: Rwanda, DR Congo ink peace deal in Washington Between November 11 and 12, the G7 foreign ministers met under Canada’s presidency. The meeting was also attended by the High Representative of the European Union and the foreign ministers of Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, and Ukraine. The discussions focused on maritime security and prosperity, critical minerals, economic resilience and energy security. After the gathering, they released a joint statement on a number of topics including Ukraine’s security and defence, the Middle East’s peace and stability, as well as regional security and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific and African countries including Sudan, and DR Congo. ALSO READ: US says DR Congo, Rwanda initial full text of Regional Economic Integration Framework On eastern DR Congo in particular, the statement pointed at the need for all parties “to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian access.” “We urged all parties to engage in good faith in the peace process, to deliver lasting peace and security, in line with UNSC Resolution 2773. We called on parties to uphold commitments to fully implement the June 27 Peace Agreement and July 19 Declaration of Principles,” it read. Inked in June this year between DR Congo and Rwanda, the Washington Peace Agreement seeks to restore good relations between the two countries by dismantling and disarming the FDLR, a genocidal militia backed by DR Congo that has destabilised Rwanda through cross-border attacks launched from Congolese territory. The agreement is also expected to lead to the lifting of Rwanda’s defensive security measures against the security threat from DR Congo. It also seeks to enhance economic cooperation in the region.
