The Democratic Republic of the Congo, through its Minister of State for Regional Integration, was represented on Thursday at the Council of Ministers of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

A statement from his office specifies: "The Minister of State in charge of regional integration, Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi attended the ECCAS Council of Ministers on Thursday in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, ahead of the 24th ordinary session of the conference of Heads of State and Government of this sub-regional community."

This meeting was organized in anticipation of the 24th ordinary session of the conference of Heads of State scheduled for this Saturday, March 10.

During the 23rd ordinary session of this organization, concluded on July 1, 2023 in Libreville (Gabon) under the aegis of former President Ali Bongo, it is recalled, the conference particularly congratulated the efforts of the Transition Authorities of the Republic of Chad, for the proper conduct of their transition process.

Above all, it praised the President of the DRC for the actions taken in the context of his mission to accompany the said transition process, in accordance with the mandate of the Extraordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the ECCAS, held in Kinshasa on October 25, 2022.

Regarding the DRC, the Conference expressed serious concern about the persistence of the security crisis in the eastern part of the country and the increase in internal displacement, "due to the criminal activities of national and foreign armed groups."

Furthermore, the Conference supported the Luanda and Nairobi processes and was pleased with the adoption, on June 27, 2023 in Luanda, by the Quadrilateral East African Community (EAC), Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), and Southern African Development Community (SADC), of a Framework for Coordination and Harmonization of their initiatives and efforts, aimed at resolving the security crisis in Eastern DRC and in the Great Lakes region.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lutundula is part of the Congolese delegation.

Boni Tsala