G7 'deeply concerned' by crisis in Great Lakes region
Washington, DC, US (PANA) - The G7 is deeply concerned by the ongoing crisis in the Great Lakes region, marked by armed violence, widespread human rights violations and abuses, and worsening displacement of populations.
This is contained in a press release issued on Tuesday by the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union and published by the US State Departmemt.
They strongly condemned the atrocities committed by any armed groups, as well as the violations of international law by any parties.
"We continue to express deep concern about the reports on foreign military support for M23 and direct military interventions on Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) territory and called for the territorial integrity of the DRC to be respected.
The foreign ministers stressed the “urgent need for immediate, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access to affected populations”.
They expressed full support for the mediation led by Angola and President Joao Lourenço between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
“We urge the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda to achieve swift progress in the implementation of the commitments made through the Luanda Process.”
The current ceasefire, which went into effect on 4 August, should be respected strictly, the press release said, adding that it is imperative that all regional actors refrain from any direct or indirect support to armed groups.
The foreign ministers reaffirmed their support for efforts to combat the illegal exploitation of natural resources and to promote sustainable and equitable development for the benefit of local populations.
On Somalia, they welcomed the country’s “enduring efforts” at institution building and in the fight against terrorism.
“We deem the stabilization of Somalia as a relevant factor to guaranteeing that both the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea lanes be secure.”
They encouraged the Somali Government to continue in its path of consolidation of the Federal institutional framework and to undertake a transparent and inclusive constitutional reform process.
The foreign ministers pledged to stand alongside Somalia in its fight against the terrorist movement of Al-Shabaab and other violent organisations.
On the upcoming termination of the African Union Transitional Mission (ATMIS), they said they believe it is essential to avoid any security gap that jihadist terrorism could exploit, before the transfer of responsibilities to national security forces is completed.
“Therefore, we support the new African Union Support Mission to Somalia (AUSSOM) and we encourage both the Somali Government and the AU to envisage an operational framework than ensures the mission can truly continue to provide stability to both the Country and the region.”
The foreign ministers called on all partners to ensure that the new mission has the support and funding it requires to succeed.
-0- PANA MA 26Nov2024
