Museveni, DRC, Congo Brazaville, Togo Leaders Meet Over Recent Spate Of Coups in Africa
By Uganda Online Media
Kampala: President Yoweri Museveni on Saturday joined his fellow presidents from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazaville, and Togo to discuss the recent spate of coups in Africa especially the troubled West Africa.
The mini-summit held in the Republic of Congo’s Oyo town in the Cuvette region was organized by President Denis Sassou Nguesso.
According to a joint communique, the four leaders discussed in length the happenings in several parts of the continent, especially West Africa where coups have become a frequent occasion.
“The exchanges between the four heads of state were essentially focused on the evolution of the political and security situation in the Great Lakes Region, Central Africa, and Western Africa,” the statement said.
Several governments especially in West Africa have in the past three years been overthrown, with the one in Burkina Faso being the latest.
At the end of last month, the military overthrew President Roch Marc Kaboré in the fourth coup in West Africa in the last 17 months with two military takeovers in Mali and a failed attempt in Niger.
Last week, DRC President, Felix Tshisekedi is also said to have survived a coup after it was foiled while he was away in Ethiopia for the African Union summit.
Some of his aides were arrested for masterminding the failed coup attempt.
The Saturday mini-summit in Congo Brazzaville resolved that the four heads of state will regularly meet to continue strengthening dialogue regarding police and security, regional and international issues.
“The four heads of state reiterated their total support to the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) in the framework of the measures taken towards Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso,” the statement noted.
The four heads of state also discussed the presence of the Ugandan troops in DRC in a joint operation with Congolese forces against the Allied Democratic Forces.
“The four heads of state were delighted by the success already realized by the Ugandan and Congolese armed forces. While congratulating one more time for the salutary initiative taken by their peers from Uganda and DRC, the President of the Togolese Republic and the President of the Republic of Congo reiterated their full support to the military joint operations engaged by the two countries,” the statement said.
The Ugandan army, UPDF recently opened a third offensive route against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) operating in Ituri Provinces and North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of Operation Shuja.
The joint operation in Eastern DRC started with phase one when UPDF using Nobili -Kamango- Mukakati route, joined their counterparts FARDC on December 1, 2021.
This preceded the assault force advancing deep into Virunga impenetrable forest dislodging ADF terrorists in several camps including their stronghold of Kambi Ya Yua where various military attire and documents were recovered.
