On Saturday, the Democratic Republic of Congo recalled its ambassadors from Kenya and Tanzania for consultations after the launch of a new military alliance in Nairobi that includes rebels. Alain Tshibanda, spokesperson for Congo’s foreign ministry, made the announcement.
The recall of the envoy to Tanzania was due to the fact that Tanzania hosts the headquarters of the East African Community, to which Congo belongs. The Kenyan embassy’s head of mission had been summoned to the foreign ministry in Kinshasa earlier on Saturday. The Kenyan government could not immediately be reached for comment.
Congolese politicians and groups, including the M23 rebels and Corneille Nangaa, a former Congo election commission chief, launched the Congo River Alliance in Nairobi on Friday. Nangaa, who was sanctioned by the U.S., said the alliance would bring together various Congolese armed groups, militias, and social and political organisations.
“I am looking for a lasting solution; all communities must live together in Congo,” Nangaa told Reuters on Saturday. Congo is scheduled to hold presidential and legislative elections on Dec. 20.
The new alliance adds to concerns in a region plagued by insecurity for decades, fueled by ethnic rivalries and a tussle over land and resources with regional implications. Bintou Keita, head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO), expressed extreme concern over the creation of the new political-military platform.
(Reporting by Ange Kasongo; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
