Angolan President João Lourenço has invited regional leaders including President Museveni for a special meeting in the capital Luanda.
Other invited heads-of-state for the Quadripartite Summit this Friday are DRC’s Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan leader Paul Kagame.
The meeting comes high on the heels on heightened tensions in the region.
Rwanda, working closely with DRC forces has in recent weeks conducted military operations in South Kivu, DRC.
The operations led to the killing and arrest of suspected Rwandan rebels operating in eastern DRC.
Rwanda claims the rebels are supported by Uganda and dissident Rwandan general Kayumba Nyamwasa, charges Kampala dismissed as baseless.
Kigali maintains a trade embargo on Ugandan goods.
Rwandans are not allowed to cross into Uganda and the common Gatuna border remains closed.
The meeting in Luanda is expected to address the rising tensions among regional countries to avoid a possible armed conflict.
Rwanda maintains troops and heavy equipment along her border with Uganda.
A recent incursion into Uganda by Rwandan soldiers escalated the already tense situation.
President Kagame has since ruled out the possibility of an all-out war with Uganda, saying it would be very costly for both countries.
President Museveni recently dispatched his Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa to deliver a special message to Kagame.
Interestingly, Burundi remains uncomfortable with Rwanda’s operations in South Kivu.
Both countries accuse each other of engaging in destabilization activities.
DRC concerns
Most importantly, Tshisekedi. who was recently elected president of DRC, needs a lasting solution to armed groups in DRC including Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
Regional intelligence chiefs recently met in Kinshasa to discuss mechanisms of jointly addressing the scourge of rebel movements in Eastern DRC.
It remains unclear what role Angola will play in deescalating the situation. President Lourenco previously served as defence minister hence a wealth of experience in tackling regional conflicts.
During Laurent Kabila’s reign, ex Angolan leader Eduardo Dos Santso dispatched soldiers and tanks to stop the Rwanda-Uganda allied troops from capturing Kinshasa.
However, Santos was not close to Laurent’s son, Joseph Kabila. In many cases, Santos did not provide military assistance to Kabila Junior whenever his regime came under threat of rebel movements including the M23.
In Luanda, Museveni will most likely press for a joint effort against ADF in North Kivu.
Tshisekedi and Lourenco will perhaps root for reconciliation between Kagame and Museveni.
In a brief statement, Angola’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said at the Quadripartite Summit, “Security and regional matters will be at the centre of the Summit.”