President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed confidence that peace may soon be achieved in the long-standing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
On Monday night, Ramaphosa participated in a joint meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community, focusing on strategies to resolve the ongoing civil war in the DRC.
Speaking on Tuesday at the DENOSA conference in Boksburg, President Ramaphosa described the discussions as “positive” and encouraging.
The conflict, involving the Congolese government and the Rwanda-backed militia M23, has resulted in the deaths of over 7,000 people since the start of the year. A fragile ceasefire is currently in place between the conflicting parties.
Ramaphosa highlighted the appointment of facilitators tasked with mediating dialogue among the stakeholders to ensure a lasting ceasefire and facilitate the withdrawal of foreign military forces.
“Facilitators are actively engaging with all involved parties to ensure meaningful dialogue and peace. For South Africa, this marks a very promising step toward resolving the conflict. We can now confidently say there’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Ramaphosa.
The president also noted that the phased withdrawal of South African troops from the region would take place over the next several months.
