Kenya, Guinea-Bissau vow to foster peace efforts in Congo, Sudan, across Africa

​​​​​​​By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Kenya and Guinea-Bissau on Saturday reaffirmed their commitment to fostering peace and stability in Congo, Sudan and other conflict-affected regions in Africa.

It was emphasized during the state visit of Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo to Nairobi, where he was hosted by Kenyan President William Ruto.

The leaders highlighted their shared goal of resolving ongoing conflicts in a statement at State House in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.

“My brother and I expressed deep concern about the raging conflicts in Sudan and Eastern DRC and implore all parties to cease hostilities and forge a path to peaceful settlement of the issues,” Ruto said.

Ruto and Embalo emphasized the importance of regional stability as a foundation for peace and development in Africa.

Ruto reiterated Kenya’s dedication to peacekeeping efforts, while Embalo called for stronger African leadership to address conflicts and promote unity across the continent.

Beyond peacekeeping, Kenya and Guinea-Bissau committed to enhancing relations through agreements in trade, education and infrastructure development.

In Congo, Moussa Faki Mahamat, chair of the African Union Commission, in a statement Saturday expressed concern about the worsening security and humanitarian situation in Congo.

Mahamat noted that there is an urgent need for all parties to agree to a ceasefire and immediately end hostilities.

Mahamat launched ”an urgent appeal to the international community to mobilize all possible support for the populations affected by the serious collateral damage of this expanding war.”

Nine peacekeepers from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) were injured Friday while supporting the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) in operations against the M23 rebel group in North Kivu, according to a UN statement,

The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in October that 7 million people were internally displaced in Congo due to the conflict and disasters.

About 6 million have been killed in conflicts in Congo since 1996, according to reports.