South Sudan's Kiir fears the Congo crisis might destabilise EAC

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has warned that the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could lead to regional instability and emphasised the urgent need to contain the war.

Via a statement on his X handle on Wednesday, Kiir urged stakeholders to mobilise resources to de-escalate tensions in Congo to ensure peace and stability within the bloc.

"The war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is threatening regional peace and stability," warned Kiir in a statement posted on X by the South Sudan Government.

The East African Community (EAC) chair further called all groups in conflict to cease fire and embrace alternative ways to reach an agreement.

"We will continue to call upon those who are still carrying arms to lay them down and to respond to the peaceful settlement of grievances," Kiir stated.

Congo, a member of the EAC for two years, has been facing civil unrest for years. According to Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Bintou Keita, the 23 March Movement (M23) rebels are rapidly expanding their command. In recent weeks, M23 has captured several strategic locations in North Kivu.

Keita stated that 7.3 million people are displaced, including 6.9 million in the eastern provinces alone. She agreed with Kiir that the situation might escalate and provoke conflict within the wider region.

M23 rebels leave a handover ceremony at Rumangabo camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on January 6, 2023. (Photo: AFP)

On Monday, she further told the UN Security Council that there was a need to avoid a domestic security vacuum and the regional spillover of conflict between the Government forces and other armed groups in DRC.

MONUSCO has trained 500 recruits of the Government’s military arm, known as the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), to defend Goma and Sake from the M23.  For its part, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional force authorized by the African Union is expected to reach full operational capability by mid-July, she added.

In the ensuing discussion, Council members and the representatives of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda presented their assessments of the evolving situation.

“If the fighting persists, there is a risk of regional spillover in the Great Lakes region with devastating consequences”, said the representative of Sierra Leone, speaking also for Algeria, Guyana and Mozambique.  For three decades, he observed, the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has been a battleground for a conflict with deep and tangled roots.

During a retreat in Zanzibar on Monday bringing all foreign ministers responsible for East Africa Affairs from member states, the ministers noted with concern the dwindling humanitarian and security situation in the eastern part of the DRC. They agreed that a political process is the only workable method to bring peace and stability to the country.

EAC Secretary General Veronica Nduva said having an honest dialogue and working together will enable the region to find solutions to issues dragging regional integration.