Leaders from African countries are gathered in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa for the 38th Ordinary Session of the Summit which kicked off this Saturday.
Top on the agenda is Peace and Security under which leaders are scheduled to address the ongoing conflicts and promoting sustainable peace-building efforts, including strengthening regional cooperation and governance frameworks.
It should be noted that in October 2021, the March 23 movement (M23) rebooted its insurgent campaign in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
M23 leaders say that they are fighting to protect ethnic minorities against a DRC government they accuse of fomenting hate speech and discrimination. Another key demand is the return of Congolese Tutsi refugees, many of whom live in Uganda and Rwanda, to Congo.
The Summit is expected to discuss in details the Kinshasa vs M23 crisis.
Heads of State and Government will engage in two closed sessions in the afternoon during which leaders will elect the next AUC Chairperson.
The Summit will finalize its closed sessions on Sunday morning.
Other issues to be deliberated on include; UN Security Council reforms to climate change and sustainable peace financing.