Rebel groups’ capture of Uvira near DR Congo-Burundi border worries regional bloc

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - The AFC/M23 capture Thursday of Uvira bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, has raised concerns within the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) regional bloc.

Speaking at the start of an extraordinary meeting of the ICGLR specialized committee of defense experts in Zambia's tourist capital of Livingstone, the group’s deputy executive secretary Yasir Mohammed said the conflict had caused immense human suffering, mass displacement and disruption of humanitarian operations.

He urged member states “to come up with decisive action to stop the escalation which has depended the humanitarian crisis and heightened the risk of cross border destabilization," Paul Shalala, a Zambian Defense Ministry public relations officer said in a statement to reporters.

The meeting preceded an extraordinary meeting of chiefs of defense as the ICGLR seeks to address wider regional implications of the eastern Congo conflict.

Shalala said Zambia Army Commander Geoffrey Zyeele said the situation in eastern Congo remained precarious and in need of urgent attention to protect women and children caught in the fighting.

Converging on the Livingstone are representatives from the 12 ICGLR member states -- Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic (CAR), Congo, DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

On Monday, Angola's President Joao Lourenco hosted Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and floated "proposals" to end the conflict, with Luanda saying Tshisekedi found the proposals "interesting."

Angola had previously attempted to broker a truce between the Congolese army and the Rwandan backed M23 rebels.