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PEACE AND SECURITY IN DR CONGO: East African Community Reaffirms Commitment To Restore Peace In Eastern Drc Through The Institutionalization Of EAC Regional Force Achievements

The East African Community (EAC) has reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing efforts to restore peace and stability to the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

EAC Secretary General Hon. (Dr.) Peter Mathuki said that the lessons learned from the deployment of the EAC Regional Force (EACRF) present opportunities for the Community to strengthen its role as the primary guarantor of peace and security in the region through the Institutionalisation of the EACRF’s achievements.

Dr. Mathuki said that the EAC will seek to strengthen its ability to respond to peace and security challenges of Partner States by the reinforcement of the successes of the regional force through the formulation of appropriate policies, guidelines, frameworks and instruments pegged on best global practices.

“The development of key instruments will further enable the EAC to respond more effectively to regional peace and security challenges through holistic conflict management,” said Dr. Mathuki.

“From this experience, the EAC has proven to be adaptable to handle security challenges and can be relied on as an able partner to respond to complex conflicts affecting the region.

Dr. Mathuki was speaking at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania during the hand-over ceremony of the flag by the EACRF following the end of the peacekeeping mission to DRC on 21st December 2023.

The Secretary General hailed the EACRF members as gallant soldiers who had put their lives on the line for the sake of ordinary East Africans residing in eastern DRC, adding that the peacekeeping mission had been highly successful despite some challenges it faced on the ground.

The EACRF Force Commander, Major General Aphaxard Muthuri Kiugu, handed over the flag to the Secretary General.

Speaking at the event, Major. Gen. Kiugu said that the mission had registered various successes key among them the protection of civilians, a core function of the mandate that was achieved through the facilitation of the ceasefire between the DRC Armed Forces (FARDC) and the M23 rebel group.

Maj. Gen. Kiugu said that the partial opening of the main supply routes of Goma-Rutshuru, Bunagana-Rutshuru, Sake-Mushake and Sake-Kitchanga-Mweso, enable the free movement of goods and persons.

“Further, EACRF deployment helped defuse direct physical threat to Goma and Sake towns,” said the Force Commander.

“The sum effect of these actions was the gradual return of internally displaced persons to their homes, especially in Sake, Kirolirwe, Kitchanga and Mweso, within Masisi territory and in Kibumba, Rumangabo, Kiwanja and Bunagana in Nyiragongo and Rutshuru territories.

Maj. Gen. Kiugu further said that humanitarian agencies’ activities increased with close collaboration between EACRF and humanitarian organisations such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Committee of the Red Cross/Crescent (ICRC).

“Additionally, EACRF through coordinated Civil-Military Cooperation activities was able to offer limited humanitarian assistance to the local population in their areas of deployment, including medical care and casualty evacuation.

PROMOTING ANTIBIOTICS PRODUCTION: East Africa Community Health Ministers Adopt Regional Policy Framework For The Supply And Production Of Antibiotics In The Region

EAC Ministers in charge of Health have endorsed a regional policy framework aimed at promoting antibiotics production and a collaborative mechanism for information exchange in the production and supply of antibiotics across the region.

The 44^th EAC Ordinary Council of Ministers endorsed this framework following multistakeholder consultations at the national and regional level as well as sensitization meetings with senior officials including Permanent Secretaries of Ministries responsible for health and industry. The project engaged over 300 stakeholders from both public and private sectors across the region.

This significant development came to light during a closeout meeting of the EAC-UNCTAD project, "Investment Incentives for Local Production of Essential Antibiotics in East Africa," held in Nairobi in December 2023. The meeting, attended by representatives from the EAC and its Partner States, UNCTAD, GIZ, and GFA Consulting Group, provided a platform to unveil the Council's approval of these essential policy documents.

Since 2019, the EAC Secretariat has collaborated closely with UNCTAD to develop and support the implementation of these critical policy documents. Mr. Jean Baptiste Havugimana, the Director of Productive Sectors at the EAC Secretariat, emphasized the impact of the approved Policy Framework on Production and Supply of Antibiotics.

"The framework introduces incentives that address current bottlenecks in local antibiotic production, while the cooperation mechanism facilitates regular updates on essential antibiotics facing shortages, supply interruptions, excessive pricing, and other challenges,” he said.

Dr. Juma Mukhwana, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Industry in the Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry, acknowledged UNCTAD's support and highlighted the challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry in the region.

Dr. Mukhwana emphasised the urgent need for EAC Partner States to implement policy incentives to attract investments, considering the region's heavy reliance on imported medicines.

Mr. Bruno Casella, UNCTAD’s Senior Economist and Chief of the Intellectual Property Unit commended the project's success and emphasized its alignment with UNCTAD's strategic focus on global research and policy work in pharmaceutical local production and regionalism.

The implementation of the EAC Regional Policy Framework and Cooperation Mechanism will necessitate a multisectoral approach, bridging health, trade, industry, and investment. Existing implementation structures at both regional and national levels will be leveraged, but capacity enhancement will be a crucial component of the policy implementation process. The implementation will also require policy and regulatory changes, the introduction of new practices, and rigorous monitoring and reporting.

This milestone marks a significant stride towards strengthening the regional capacity for antibiotics production and supply, with potential far-reaching impacts on public health and economic resilience within the East African Community.