African Union (AU) Chairperson Paul Kagame has urged President Edgar Lungu to work with other leaders in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to ensure the electoral process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is credible to ensure stability.
Mr. Kagame who is also Rwandan President made the appeal when he held bilateral talks with President Lungu on the sidelines of the just-closed 38th SADC Summit in Windhoek, Namibia.
This is according to President Lungu’s Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda.
Mr. Chanda said during the 45-minute-long meeting centred on the need to enhance regional security, Mr. Kagame emphasized to President Lungu as incoming Chair of Troika Organ on Politics, Defence and Security that the primary responsibility of SADC is to oversee the stability of Congo.
He revealed that as Chair of the AU, President Kagame is worried that if there is no credible electoral process to lead to a credible outcome, there could be instability that can cause influx of refugees to DRC’s nine neighbouring countries.
Mr. Chanda stated that the two Presidents agreed that they would consult widely with other members within SADC and beyond on the matter.
He said President Kagame informed President Lungu that he was approached by the United Nations(UN) Secretary General, and other countries in the European Union(EU) and elsewhere to see how they can help the process in the DRC.
And Mr. Chanda said President Lungu also met Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi who informed him that there were negative forces, of religious in nature destabilizing the border areas of his country.
Mr. Chanda said the President of Mozambique has since informed all the countries involved like Tanzania and the DRC on the need to ensure the bad elements, whose origins are not well known, are dealt with as soon as possible because they are intoxicating young people with vile religious ideologies, and causing some security problems in the border areas.
He further said President Nyusi brought this to the attention of President Lungu because it is the responsibility of the chair of the organ to oversee regional security.
Mr.Chanda said the two heads of State also discussed bilateral issues to do with cooperation in the importation of energy and other issues between Zambia and Mozambique bordering on economic cooperation.
President Lungu also met Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the two leaders talked about the need for increased cooperation and entrenched values of democracy to ensure possible areas of conflict are minimized.
President Lungu has since left for Zambia and was seen off by Namibian Minister of Health Bernhard Haufiku, Zambia’s Home Affairs Minister, Stephen Kampyongo, Zambia’s High Commissioner to Namibia Stella Libongani and some senior officials from the Zambian High Commission in Namibia.
The theme of the summit which is being held at the Safari Conference Centre is “Promoting Infrastructure Development and Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development.’’
Wrong person to ask. Even in zambia there are still questions over the last elections.
denial and bitterness equals evil
It can’t be credible, Zambia is supporting their candidate Chani Fisheries Moise Katumbi, of TP Mazembe.
Kikiki. Its like asking a monkey to guard a room full of bananas.
When Kabila visited Lusaka in Feb 2018, Lungu is on record supporting Kabila’s illegal 3rd term, saying it was the will of the congolese people.
Lungu is the wrong guy to oversee these elections especially with his history of rigging, abuse of police, airforce, bribing of judges, abuse of public order act, using violent youths gangs.
Southern African has not fully recovered from 1960s,70s liberation wars, apartheid & 1980s civil wars, genocide but now is fast becoming hijacked by corrupt wanna-be-billionaire politicians, their families & their stoogies like Zuma, Lungu, Mugabe, Dos Santos, Kabila, Mswati, Kagame, Nkurunzinza (burundi) who have mastered the art of election & constitution manipulation.
The last elections are long gone – cry babies. Let’s be serious, there are more serious issues to expend our energies on.
Really laughable..was Paul drunk??
If this will be Lungu’s responsibility, the neighbouring countries might as well start preparing to take in refugees.
This task is too serious for Lungu to handle.
In any case, you can not mention Lungu and fair elections in the same sentence.
You sound terribly bitter . so how can a country develop with people like you. You seem to oppose everything govt does.
Firstly the fact that this illegitimate President of DRC was among SADC leaders and accepted is already a BIG mistake and lack of seriousness by this body
in what capacity is mnanangwa attending this summit meeting because he is just president elect
Yes, he is the sitting President.
As an attendee these chaps love flying…
Those lamise Lebanese who lungu gave the RATSA deal to , kabila is a main share holder in that company which was operating in Congo.
Looks like kabila has made lungu a share holder as well……now they are good buddies…
Already the docile Zambians have been hamnered with fines…
only deluded people think we still have questions over 2016 elections, those of us who voted in troves for ECL know better !!
ZAMBIA IS SURELY HELD IN VERY HIGH ESTEEM AT REGIONAL LEVEL. UNLIKE WHAT THE PERPETUAL LOSERS OF DUNDUMWEZI ARE HOWLING.
They are laughing at you…..cozzing up to a dictator kabila. Lungu is the only leader to talk to kabila because they are partners in corruption…..regional leaders know this. Like that Lebanese company lamise who operated the traffic management in Congo , kabila is a main share holder and has cut lungu in on shareholding. That is why lungu gave them to run our traffic….kabila was visiting Zambia to seal the deal. Regional leaders know kabila is a bussiness partner of lungu..
Lazy Jay j, your comments on the above comments from Dundumwezi please?
If SADC is relying on ECL to bring credibility to DRC election process, we might as well call a pig a dove. This guy is the wrong fella to ask.
He supports Katumbi and has no respect for court orders.
Lungu must reinstate those treason charges so we can have stability in Z. Did anyone notice how peaceful & quite the country had become in those 3 months. The only noise we used to hear was “denied access or allowed access” to mukobeko.
…….and IMF refusing to give lungu money and the credit rating agencies scraping Zambias credit rating to junk status ….that was the what we were hearing…
Both Kagame and Jameson are wrong chaps to talk about fair elections, these chaps are both perennial election riggers!
We all support UPND but we shouldn’t be this bitter. Lungu is just a good President and has support from many Zambians. Time we change our attitude as Upnd is time we may win elections
Botswana President is the right man to do this.
He who cannot put his own house in order should NOT be entrusted to go fill the holes and cracks in a neighbours house. Lungu is neither credible nor reliable and hasn’t built his house up to code.
Coded words. Kagame was actually asking Lungu to make sure the person they want to win, wins. I wouldn’t even entrust Lungu with a mango tree with mangoes on it. I saw him how he gets excited and ate mangoes on the street without washing them. Such a person cannot be trusted with the eradication of cholera. If you want peaceful and fair elections, get someone from Botswana, the former President.
Please help me who is the SADC chair is it Pilato or Kagame. Please tell Pilato to make sure the election in DRC are credible.
Interesting comments
The legitimate Government of Lungu to oversee a struggling Congo DR, democratically!
Oh. Which is legitimate to oversee the other?
Confusing
Kabila has played a fast one