{Leaders in the Great Lakes Region have given FDLR that includes perpetrators of the 1994 genocide of Tutsis, six months to disarm or face military action.}
This came out at the end of the one day meeting of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region which ended in the Angolan capital, Luanda.
Given South Africa’s experience in peacekeeping and its contribution to the 20 000 strong UN Stabilisation Mission in the DRC, President Jacob Zuma was invited to the one day meeting.
Although leaders in the Great Lakes Region welcome the willingness of FDLR to disarm and be integrated back into communities, they are somewhat concerned at the slow pace of the disarmament process.
Several countries in the region that include Angola, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC have met in Luanda to discuss the progress made since the March gathering where a decision to disarm the rebels was taken.
But they have expressed disappointment at the snail’s pace of disarmament.
They have since resolved to set a six months deadline for the rebels.
The disarmament of the FDLR follows the defeat of another rebel group – the M23 with the help of South Africa.
Pretoria is among the few Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries that have contributed soldiers to the UN Peacekeeping force including Malawi and Tanzania.
Zuma says after the disarmament process, all combatants and rebel leaders will have to be integrated back into communities.
Chairperson of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region and Angolan President Edurado dos Santos says rebels will have to cooperate or face the full might of the regional armies.
The Angolan gathering also proposed a joint summit of the SADC-Great Lakes regions.
SADC will hold its ordinary session at the Zimbabwean holiday resort of Victoria Falls this weeken
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