Leaders from the southern African bloc of nations, Sadc, are gathering in Namibia for an extraordinary meeting that will focus on the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Tensions have been running high between Rwanda and the government in Kinshasa, which accuses Kigali of financing a big rebel group in eastern DR Congo. Rwanda denies the accusations.
The summit in Windhoek is also expect to issue a statement over the recent killing of a pro-democracy activist in Eswatini.
It is expected to discuss the state of peace and security in the region, with special focus on developments in the DR Congo and Mozambique.
Angola, one of the member states, has been trying to firm up peace efforts between Rwanda and DR Congo, which escalated last week when the Rwanda military shot and damaged a fighter jet from the Congolese army.
This summit is expected to renew efforts at bringing peace to the region, but also it will look into recent unrest in Lesotho and Eswatini, in particular, after the killing of Eswatini human rights lawyer and pro-democracy activist Thulani Maseko.
Eswatini’s King Mswati III won’t be at the summit, but Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini will be expected to deliver a report on the political crisis and tension in the small kingdom – the only ruling monarchy in Africa.
source: bbc
