EAC FMs Concerned Over Deteriorating Humanitarian, Security Situation in Eastern DR Congo

ARUSHA, Tanzania, Xinhua: The East African Community (EAC) ministers of foreign affairs and EAC affairs have raised concern over the deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

In a communique isued by the EAC headquarters in Tanzania’s northern city of Arusha at the end of a recent three-day meeting of the ministers in Tanzania’s Zanzibar, the ministers appreciated the humanitarian truce currently underway in the DRC and recommended that the truce be extended indefinitely.

According to the communique, the ministers deliberated on the current state of peace, security, interstate relations, and the EAC integration process.

The communique said the ministers acknowledged that a political process was the viable path to sustainable peace and security in the eastern DRC.

It said the ministers recommended convening a summit of the EAC heads of state to revitalize the political track of the EAC-led Nairobi process in reciprocal coordination with the Luanda process.

The ministers reviewed the status of implementing the four integration pillars and emphasized the need to demonstrate political commitment and goodwill to ensure the realization of the goals for each pillar.

The four pillars are the common market, customs union, monetary union and political federation.

The EAC is an intergovernmental organization composed of eight member states, namely the DRC, Somalia, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania.