Zambia and Tanzania on Friday called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to hostilities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, urging dialogue to resolve the ongoing conflict.
Expressing deep concern over the worsening security situation, the two nations emphasized the urgent need for dialogue among stakeholders to find a peaceful resolution.
Their call was made in a joint communique issued at the conclusion of the week-long third session of the Zambia-Tanzania Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) in Zambia’s tourist hub Livingstone.
“The commission echoed calls for a ceasefire by the warring parties and dialogue by all stakeholders in order to find an amicable solution to the prevailing conflict. The commission affirmed its support to the efforts by the SADC organ Troika on politics, defence and security co-operation, noting that Tanzania was the chairperson, while Zambia was the outgoing chairperson,” the communique read in part. “The SADC has been actively deploying troops to the region, and the EAC has attempted to facilitate peace talks.”
As neighboring countries, Zambia and Tanzania stressed the urgency of resolving the conflict to prevent a severe refugee crisis, which would strain resources and destabilize the region, and to maintain regional peace and security, which are crucial for trade and integration. “We are very concerned about the possibility of a massive refugee influx into our countries,” said a Tanzanian official.
The M23 rebel group, seeking greater control of mineral-rich areas, has intensified its territorial control in eastern Congo since December, seizing the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu.
Fighting in the eastern Congo has led to the deaths of more than 7,000 people this year, Congo’s Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka told the UN Human Rights Council on Monday.