DRC political instability reports worry Lungu
Archbishop Ambongo urged President Lungu who is the chairperson for the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation (SADC-Troika) to urgently help in addressing the matter facing DRC.
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has expressed concern over media reports of political instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as the country heads towards elections. And President Lungu has acknowledged the sovereignty of DRC but also stressed that Congo was critical to regional stability such that if something went wrong in that country the entire SADC would be affected. The Head of State said this yesterday in Lusaka when the Congolese Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) paid a courtesy call on him at State House where they formally presented their concern on the political instability in DRC. CCCB vice president Archbishop Fridolin Ambongo told President Lungu that with the current political hostility in that country, general elections would not be conducted this year. Archbishop Ambongo explained that when President Joseph Kabila announced that he would not stand in the December Presidential election, there was hope of political stability but his actions against opposition political leaders has created political instability in DRC. Archbishop Ambongo urged President Lungu who is the chairperson for the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation (SADC-Troika) to urgently help in addressing the matter facing DRC. “We are here as a church which is non-partisan. We don’t support the opposition nor do we support those in power but we are here to present to you as the SADC Troika chairperson our concern over the political crisis in DRC. “Something is wrong in our country, that’s why we are here,” Archbishop Ambongo said through an interpreter. In response, President Lungu said DRC was a big member of SADC and that he gets concerned when there are reports of political instability because that has potential to affect other SADC member States. President Lungu however disclosed that when he raised concern over the reported political instability of DRC, his counterpart President Joseph Kabila assured him that all was well in that country. “I met him recently in Namibia where we had the SADC Heads of State summit and again he assured me that all is well and that the elections will go on as scheduled. But going by the media reports, you get an impression that all might not be well because of abrogating the December 2016 Agreement where you had agreed on certain parameters,” President Lungu said. President Lungu said he would rehearse the concerns raised by the CCCB with other SADC member States to find ways of helping resolve the matter.