By Deodatus Mfugale

The Congo crisis has set off international pressure on leaders of the Great Lakes Region to end the conflict and help the restoration of peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the region in general.

Speaking during the Great Lakes leaders summit held in Nairobi on Friday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon told presidents from the Great Lakes region and other international delegates that time had come to intervene into the crisis with the aim of finding an amicable solution. In particular, the UN chief persuaded rebel leader Laurent Nkunda to stop making new attacks and instead pullback to the position where his forces had stood at the beginning of this year. Nkunda was also urged to prevent his people from starting any offensive as leaders hammer out ways to end the crisis through dialogue.
Regional leaders who attended the meeting were host President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Paul Kagame of Rwanda and AU Chairman President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania. Also present were Sassou Ngueso of the Republic of Congio, Pierre Nkuranzinza of Burundi and the Vice –President of Sudan Riek Machar.
Countries which sent high level observer delegations to the meeting were USA, Zambia, France, Britain, Netherlands, Canada and South Africa.
The summit brought to the spotlight Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Joseph Kabila of DRC and Uganda's Yoweri Museveni who are key players in the region and who observers believe hold the key to a lasting solution to the problem. The not-so-cordial relationships among the three presidents have only compounded the DR Congo crisis, according to reports.
Rwanda has been accused of supporting the Gen Nkunda-led 8000-strong militia that is fighting President Kabila's government, leading to loss of tens of lives and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. Uganda has also been accused of supporting a section of the rebels while Rwanda and Uganda have not been on very good terms.

Ban insisted during the summit that the lasting solution to the problem lay with the region’s political leaders so it was upon them to do whatever it takes to find that solution although he noted the need to strengthen DRC’s national army and to revamp the UN peacekeeping force which currently stands at 17,000.
“ As regional heads, you must take immediate action to end this crisis which if left to continue could affect the whole region of the Great Lakes. You have to work towards a political agreement which will eventually end this violence,” he said.
The UN Secretary General noted, however that , the DR Congo crisis was not an isolated case as peace and security in the region has also been threatened by the presence of armed groups in the region.
“Some of these local and foreign groups which are working from inside DRC,” he insisted.
Among rebel groups that have been operating inside the DRC include Forces Democratiques pour la Liberation du Rwanda, the Congres National pour la Defense du Peuple, the armed groups of Ituri and the LRA. These forces have made it difficult to establish peace and stability in the country.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting on Friday the leaders urged warring parties to observe an immediate ceasefire and the establishment a humanitarian corridor that would see hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the recent crisis getting humanitarian assistance. The fighting in the Eastern province of North Kivu has displaced over 250,000 people so far.
The summit which was hosted by the AU, was supported by the UN and the European Union.
ENDS.