17 February 2023 | The AUPSC held its 1140th meeting at the level of the Heads of State and Government on the situation in the Eastern DRC under the theme ‘Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the Region and the deployment of the East African Community (EAC) Regional Force’. The meeting was opened by the President of the Republic of South Africa and Chairperson of the AUPSC for February 2023, Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa; and by the AUC Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat.

The session further received statements by the President of the DRC and Chairperson of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and Southern African Development Community (SADC), Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo; the President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame; President of the Republic of Burundi and Chairperson of the EAC, Évariste Ndayishimiye,; the President of the Republic of Angola and ICGLR Chairperson, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço; and by the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres.

Following the session, the AUPSC issued a communique expressing concern over the tensions between the DRC and Rwanda and calling for calm and greater dialogue between the two countries. It further called for the urgent revitalization of the Framework Agreement, emphasizing the individual and collective need of the signatory countries to redouble their efforts to fully implement the national and regional commitments enshrined in the agreement. In this context, the communique requested the AU, in collaboration with EAC, ECCAS, SADC, ICGLR, and the UN to urgently work towards the revitalization of the Framework Agreement and report back to the Council, within six weeks. It further endorsed the final communique of the Mini-Summit of the EAC and ICGLR on Peace and Security in the Eastern Region of the DRC, held on 17 February in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and urged for the expeditious implementation of the outcomes of the Luanda and Nairobi processes. Read the full communique attached below.