President Paul Kagame added that Qatar-US mediation efforts designed to achieve peace between Qatar and Dr. Congo are acknowledged and that Africa needs to play their own role in finding solutions to Africa’s problems.
He is suited to the new world order with a high-level panel discussion on policies, practices and character at the opening of the African CEO Forum held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on May 12th.
The annual forum began on Monday with the theme “Africa in the World of Transactions: Can a New Contract Between the State and the Private Sector Deliver Winning Hands to the Continent?”
Qatar and the United States have played a role in shaping the new direction of the situation in Eastern Congo in peace, in addition to Africa-led efforts, including the current Merseyed Nairobi and Luanda processes.
Also Read: US receives Rwanda-DR Congo Peace Proposal
The latest development requires a peace agreement expected to be carved by President Donald Trump’s White House in June by President Kagame and his Congolese Felix Zisekedi.
“There are some efforts going on at the same time… Whether it’s Qatar or the US, we can’t say we’ve succeeded, everyone is trying,” Kagame said.
Also Read: What does our involvement in Dr. Congo’s speech bring to the table?
Under Qatar mediation, Kinshasa recently began discussions with the AFC/M23 movement, which Tshisekedi had previously refused to speak to terrorist branding.
Kagame said progress has been made for many years as he was asked to comment on his continued efforts to reform the African coalition to be more effective and relevant, and emphasized that Africans generally gather around this effort to “define things and speak more and more in one voice.”
“Most of these developments that have happened over the past decade remind us that there are things that we don’t need to do,” he said, giving examples of how the African Union introduced peace and security facilities to reduce dependence on external funders.
Furthermore, Rwandan leaders noted that there has been progress in the context of peace and security despite the ongoing “trouble spots” in various regions.
He welcomed positive contributions from outside players to support the continent, but warned that Africans must take full ownership and responsibility for their future.
“In any case, even if we can do things ourselves, we still need to bring in a partner who has what we can offer,” he said. “But we need to define what direction we take as Africa, which is not entirely dependent on what these people are contributing.”
In the same panel, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said ongoing peace efforts on the continent, including the Nairobi and Luanda processes, are extremely crucial in laying the foundations of peace and confidence.
He said anything other actors outside of Africa can do is important, but ultimately “must remember the principles of African solutions to African problems.”
“We have a deep responsibility that peace is actually winning, and what (the parties in conflict) are doing with Qatar, the US is part of the peacebuilding process, but it’s essentially African,” the South African leader mentions Dr. Congo’s situation.
Ramaphosa added that he was talking to each other on a “speed dial” with Kagame, encouraging stakeholders to focus on collaboration to achieve the peace process on the continent.
South Africa, along with Tanzania and Malawi, is deploying troops to Dr. Congo in eastern Congo under the South African Development Community (SADC) banner, and the bloc is currently retracting personnel and equipment through Rwanda.
In addition to the expected peace agreements expected next month, Rwanda and Dr. Congo are expected to sign separate bilateral economic agreements with the US government.
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Before signing a peace agreement, the United States emphasizes that both parties must first meet some assumptions.
Among them, Dr. Congo must fully address internal security challenges and Rwandan security concerns, including the dissolution of Genocidal FDLR.
Furthermore, Dr. Congo is expected to implement internal governance reforms, including ensuring a fair distribution of national resources across the region.
On April 25, foreign ministers of Rwanda and Congo signed the Declaration of Principles, marking the beginning of a peace process aimed at restoring stability not only in the Eastern DRC but also in the wider lake area, which has long suffered from the outflow of conflict.
In the declaration, both sides reaffirmed their respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and committed to resolving conflicts through diplomacy and dialogue.
