DRC HITS AT COUNTRIES SUPPORTING REBELS

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has castigated countries supporting armed groups creating havoc on the country's eastern rim.

The country's prime minister Jean Michel Sama Lukonde said in Arusha Friday, July 22, 2022 that his country was much concerned by persistent lawlessness there.

He regretted that some of the armed groups could have had the support of some countries or entities he could not name within the region.

Mr. Lukonde was speaking during a High Level Retreat of the EAC Presidents held ahead of last Friday's formal Summit in Arusha.

The Congolese premier admitted that insecurity was his country's major concern now even after joining the East African Community (EAC).

He appreciated efforts being made to resolve the crisis through the Nairobi Conclave spearheaded by President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya.

Since March this year an armed outfit called M23 has caused havoc in Kivu North province in eastern DRC, at times clashing with government troops.

Kinshasa has often accused Rwanda for offering logistical support to the rebels. Kigali has repeatedly denied the charges.

The PM, who represented President Felix Tshisekedi, nevertheless, promised his country was committed to the Nairobi dialogue to end the crisis.

"The peace talks are important so that we can focus on development. We need peace before talking on the Common Market", he pointed out. 

The vast DRC joined the EAC in March this year, becoming the seventh member of the bloc, having applied for membership in 2019.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan challenged the member countries in the bloc to utilize their ample land resources for increased food production.

"We have plenty of land. We have to produce enough food to feed our people", she said at the Retreat held on the campus of the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC).

President Samia said governments have not effectively used the ample land and water resources to improve agricultural productivity.

Even when the food is harvested, substantial yields are lost due to poor storage and transportation to the markets.

She said intensive agriculture through irrigation and rainwater harvesting can double food production and boost food security.

Farmers should also be accessed to affordable credits to purchase the essential inputs that would boost farm yields.

Proper storage was also crucial in order to lower pre- and post-harvest losses which, according to her, have negatively impacted on the harvests.

President Samia  described  Burundi as a showcase of agricultural transformation following improved security after years of bloody political crisis.

She commended an investor from Burundi who is putting up a multi-billion shilling fertilizer plant in Dodoma, saying it can reduce dependency on imported fertilizers.

President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya stressed transport connectivity among the EAC member states and to the rest of the world.

He said infrastructure was critical for economic growth, citing the planned Bagamoyo-Tanga- Horohoro- Mombasa -Malindi highway that will link the coastal cities of Tanzania and Kenya.

The Kenyan leader said that the massive infrastructure development would reduce the cost of movement of people and goods across the region.  

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda called on the governments to fight the persistent trade barriers for their negative impacts on  the region's economic growth.

He criticised those playing down the regional economic blocs such as the EAC, saying integration was crucial for survival of the small economies.

He said there was no way a country or region can achieve prosperity if it didn't solve the issue of market size, adding the global trend was to expand markets to guarantee prosperity.

President  Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, who took over the EAC Chair from President Kenyatta yesterday, rooted for the free movement of people, goods and labour.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia said his country had formally applied to join the EAC and hoped the application would sail through.

Rwanda prime minister Edouard Ngirente, who represented President Kagame, called for the removal of  air transport restrictions in the region, saying they are counterproductive.

"We just have to remove all restrictions in air transport services", he said, citing the  Yaammossoukro protocol which has not been implemented to the letter in the EA region.