{The National Defence minister , João Lourenço, Saturday in Soyo municipality, northern Zaire province, said Angola will not take part in military operations against the rebels in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.}
João Lourenco was speaking to the press during a few-hour visit to the northern naval region.
He reiterated that the sending of Angolan troops to help the Kinshasa Government to fight the Democratic Forces for Liberation of Rwanda destabilising the eastern region of the DRC, was never considered.
The minister explained that the fact that Angola is in charge of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region does not entitle it to send troops into the DRC.
According to him, the countries comprising the United Nations mission for the DRC , namely South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi, together with the DRC itself, are the ones that have the responsibility to fight the rebels operating in northern and southern Kivu.
João Lourenco also explained that Angola’s role in the DRC is strictly political and entails dialogue between the parties (government and rebels), for a political solution in the region.
Angola Press
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