The East African Community (EAC) has condemned the horrific attack on worshippers at a church in Kasindi town in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that resulted in the deaths and injuries of scores of worshippers Sunday.
Mr Peter Mathuki, the EAC secretary general, condemned the cowardly and heinous crime and extended his sincere condolences to the families of the victims, the people and the government of the DRC and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. The statement issued by the EAC headquarters in Arusha said the EAC was committed to the restoration of peace in eastern DRC and extended its full support in the pursuit of a sustainable solution to the protracted security situation.
The EAC continued to call on all parties to establish an immediate ceasefire, respect international law, and ensure the safety and security of civilians to enable a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict, read the statement.
Mr Mathuki restated the call by the EAC heads of state for all local armed groups in eastern DRC to embrace consultations, lay down their arms, and join the political process. He also reiterated the full respect for the territorial integrity of the DRC and the commitment to the utilization of existing regional and global frameworks to address conflicts. DRC joined the EAC last year, bringing the number of member states of the regional bloc to seven. Other members of the EAC are Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
