The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, is following with deep concern the evolving situation in the Great Lakes region, in particular the developments in South Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as well in Cibitoke Province, Burundi.

The Chairperson deeply regrets these clashes and the violence perpetrated against civilian populations, which run counter to the momentum generated by the Doha Framework Agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Alliance Fleuve Congo/Movements of 23 March (AFC/M23), as well as the Washington D.C. Agreement between the DRC and Rwanda. He calls on all stakeholders to exercise restraint and to prioritise a political solution.

The Chairperson expresses his solidarity, and that of the African Union, with the affected civilian populations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. He reiterates the African Union’s long-standing position that lasting peace in the Great Lakes region is predicated on full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States. In this regard, he reiterates the condemnation of any attempt to establish a parallel administration in eastern DRC.

He further calls on all States in the region to honour their commitments under the Addis Ababa Framework Agreement and to fully comply with the Pact on Non-Aggression and Mutual Defence of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.

Finally, the Chairperson reaffirms the African Union’s readiness to work closely with all regional and international stakeholders with a view to reinvigorating a regional security dialogue aimed at bringing an end to instability in the Great Lakes region.

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Mr. Nuur Mohamud Sheekh I Spokesperson of the Chairperson I African Union Commission I Email: SheekhN@AfricanUnion.org | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia