Zambia: Defense chiefs meet amid eastern DRC insecurity

Zambia wrapped up a three‑day emergency meeting convened by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in Livingstone to address the spiraling conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Defense ministers and military chiefs from ICGLR member states Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, the DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia were invited. The DRC is the current chair of the ICGLR.

Regional governments appear increasingly determined to revive diplomatic pressure after the Rwanda‑backed M23 group briefly captured the strategic city of Uvira in South Kivu, before abandoning it days later after US pressure. M23's advance on Uvira in the resource-rich region came less than a week after a United States-brokered peace agreement on December 4.

The DRC has accused Rwanda of being responsible for the deaths of more than 1,500 civilians since early December. The government has called the attacks "a clear act of aggression" and a "serious and repeated violation of international law."

Separately, the United Nations estimates that about 500,000 people have been displaced in South Kivu during the latest surge in fighting, with tens of thousands fleeing into Burundi.

Zambian political commentator Musaba Chailunga told DW that past peace efforts have been hampered because some international players benefit strategically or economically from insecurity in the eastern DRC.

"But that doesn't mean meetings like this should not take place," he said. "Congo is very close to Zambia," he added, "and Congo is very significant for the region and for the whole continent."

Zambian Vice President Mutale Nalumango urged defense ministers to find a solution that has eluded generations.

"The suffering of civilians in eastern DRC is not confined to one nation, but affects the stability of the entire Great Lakes Region and beyond. It demands urgent and collective action," she said.

In a written statement sent to reporters, DRC Defense Minister Guy Kabombo Muadiamvita said the meeting showed a "shared commitment to strengthening the regional response to security and humanitarian challenges" and furthered the "implementation of the commitments made under the Washington and Doha agreements."

Muadiamvita said a lasting peace in the Great Lakes Region would requiree a collective responsibility, sincere cooperation and sustained commitment to work for common security.

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Though US President Donald Trump has touted the December deal as a "miracle," both Rwanda and the DRC have accused each other of undermining it — raising doubts about its viability.

Analyst Phil Clark, of the University of London, told DW: "If we're going to see a peace process that does hold in eastern Congo over the next year, Angola will be a key player."

With the US-brokered deal effectively defunct, Clark said, Angola has been suggested as a potential mediator, because Luanda is the only actor trusted by both Kigali and Kinshasa.

Angola, which currently chairs the African Union, has recently presented President Felix Tshisekedi with new proposals to end the conflict — ideas that the Congolese leader described as "very interesting" during a brief meeting in Luanda with Angolan President Joao Lourenco. Though details of the proposals were not disclosed, previous Angolan mediation attempts have struggled to break the cycle of violence.