Félix Tshisekedi completed a two-day working visit to Mauritania on Thursday in Nouakchott. During this visit, he met face-to-face with his Mauritanian counterpart, Mohammed Ould Ghazouani, current president of the African Union. There was talk of bilateral cooperation, but also of the security crisis in eastern DRC.
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With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Patient Ligodi
In the middle of a military and diplomatic standoff with Paul Kagame, Félix Tshisekedi hopes for a strengthened engagement of the African Union in the peace process in DRC. He had already discussed this issue during a telephone call with Mohammed Ould Ghazouani about two weeks ago.
Kinshasa insists on the urgency of a more active participation of the pan-African organization, as was committed, say Congolese sources, Mohammed Ould Ghazouani, more than a month ago in Addis Ababa.
Congolese authorities are pushing for promises of support for the SADC force deployed in the eastern part of the country to be quickly implemented.
While recognizing the importance of diplomatic initiatives, Kinshasa also recalls that it is essential not to underestimate military actions.
The same process is also being carried out in New York where the UN General Secretariat is continuing its assessment of ways in which the UN could provide logistical and operational support to regional forces operating in the DRC, including the SADC mission.
On the ground, according to the UN, the M23 continues its territorial expansion on an unprecedented scale. This advance was particularly notable following the withdrawal of the East African Community regional force, at which point the M23, with support from Kigali, took over old positions and expanded its influence advancing towards the west and south, threatening Goma and Sake.