African leaders to meet on action against Rwandan rebels in DR Congo

African leaders will hold a meeting later this month in Luanda, Angola to discuss possible actions to disarm the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Rwandan rebel group based in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. This move is coming after the rebels refused to honour an ultimatum to disarm and surrender before January 2.

Heads of state and government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) will meet on January 15 and 16.

President Jacob Zuma of South Africa chair of the security arm of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), said only 337 rebel fighters have disarmed since May 2014, which represents approximately 24 percent of the FDLR's estimated total number of combatants.

"The FDLR has therefore to date not complied in full with the conditions imposed by the Heads of State and Government of SADC and the ICGLR," Zuma said.

The South African President also stressed that "SADC remains committed to the internationally mandated objective of neutralizing all negative forces operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the FDLR, and remains ready to play its fullest part in this regard."

credit: ShanghaiDaily