Pretoria - International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane is in Luanda, Angola, for a meeting aimed at discussing the peace and security situation in the DRC.
The 7th High Level Meeting of the Regional Oversight Mechanism (ROM) of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Region is scheduled for Wednesday, 26 October.
South Africa is a signatory to the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework (PSCF) Agreement signed in February 2013. The PSCF seeks to address the recurring cycles of conflict and violence in the eastern DRC.
Eleven countries in Africa have signed the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the Region, with the AU, SADC, the ICGLR (International Conference of the Great Lakes) and the UN acting as guarantors.
The Heads of State and Government and the representatives of the DRC, Angola, Burundi, Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, United Nations, African Union, SADC and the ICGLR will participate in the meeting as signatories to the PSCF.
A meeting of the Heads of State and Government is expected to assess progress in the implementation of the PSCF and discuss developments in the Great Lakes Region.
The meeting will also provide an opportunity for participants to consult within the context of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region between the 11 countries, where DRC President Joseph Kabila will be expected to brief participating leaders on the political and security developments in the DRC.
The South African government delegation at the meeting includes State Security Minister David Mahlobo and senior officials from the Department of Defence and Military Veterans. – SAnews.gov.za
