PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma is due to host a regional mini-summit in Pretoria on Monday evening on how to resolve contrasting security issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the mountain kingdom of Lesotho.
The summit is under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) whose organ on politics, security and defence Mr Zuma chairs.
President Joseph Kabila is expected to participate despite facing mounting opposition in the Congo over his undeclared but increasingly obvious campaign for a third five-year term. The country’s constitution only allows presidents to serve two terms and Mr Kabila’s second term expires in 2016.
But the summit is about the future of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda militia in eastern Congo. The Hutu fighters are the rump of the force which committed genocide in Rwanda in 1994 against minority Tutsi and which fled into neighbouring Congo that year.
The growing crisis in Lesotho affects a much smaller and more peaceful country but one which is an enclave in SA and a vital supplier of water to Gauteng province.
Mr Zuma has been spearheading Sadc’s efforts to cool the temperature between Prime Minister Tom Thabane and his deputy, Mothetjoa Metsing, and also to defuse the potential military threat from Lt-Gen Tlali Kamoli.
President Jacob Zuma. Picture: MARTIN RHODES
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma is due to host a regional mini-summit in Pretoria on Monday evening on how to resolve contrasting security issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the mountain kingdom of Lesotho.
The summit is under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) whose organ on politics, security and defence Mr Zuma chairs.
President Joseph Kabila is expected to participate despite facing mounting opposition in the Congo over his undeclared but increasingly obvious campaign for a third five-year term. The country’s constitution only allows presidents to serve two terms and Mr Kabila’s second term expires in 2016.
But the summit is about the future of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda militia in eastern Congo. The Hutu fighters are the rump of the force which committed genocide in Rwanda in 1994 against minority Tutsi and which fled into neighbouring Congo that year.
The growing crisis in Lesotho affects a much smaller and more peaceful country but one which is an enclave in SA and a vital supplier of water to Gauteng province.
Mr Zuma has been spearheading Sadc’s efforts to cool the temperature between Prime Minister Tom Thabane and his deputy, Mothetjoa Metsing, and also to defuse the potential military threat from Lt-Gen Tlali Kamoli.
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