An earlier postponed regional leaders meeting initiated by Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi to discuss peace and security, among others, is now being fast-tracked for Wednesday, October 7, sources have told The New Times. The meeting is expected to bring together leaders from Rwanda, DR Congo, Uganda, Burundi and Angola to discuss peace, security, diplomatic and political relations, among others. The technical preparatory meeting is happening as we speak. Ministers are set to meet via videoconference this afternoon and the Heads of State virtual summit is scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday), an official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday. Last month, President Tshisekedi invited Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, Burundi’s Evariste Ndayishimiye and Angola’s Joao Lurenço to a summit but it did not happen. At the time, Jolino Makelele, the DR Congo Minister of Communication and spokesperson for the Congolese government, said the summit will look at three themes— peace and security in the region, diplomatic and political relations among the states and the revival of economic activities in the current context of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. In the past two years, President Tshisekedi ignited a new momentum aimed at bolstering peace and security in the region. Among others, under his leadership, the DR Congo army stepped up an offensive against Rwandan terror groups and others in an ongoing effort to rout all foreign armed militias based in the neighbouring country.
