Angola to host central, southern Africa heads of state summit

Angolan President João Lourenço

Angolan President João Lourenço will Tuesday host central and southern Africa heads of state, the country’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mr Manuel Augusto has said.

According to Mr Augusto, the leaders will assess the political state in the region as well the current situation in DRC, particularly the elections scheduled for December 23.

“During the meeting, the heads of state will discuss the persistence of violence in CAR, the electoral process in DR Congo and many other issues,” said Mr Augusto.

Presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of the Congo, South Africa, Rwanda, Uganda, Gabon as well as African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat have been invited for the summit.

Last week, DR Congo President Joseph Kabila announced that he would not stand for re-election. Instead, he nominated former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary as his successor.

Three opposition heavyweights, Felix Tshisekedi, Jean-Pierre Bemba and Vital Kamerhe are among 25 candidates who have registered to run in the country’s long-awaited elections.

Kabila, 47, should have stepped down at the end of 2016 when his constitutional two-term limit expired but invoked a constitutional clause enabling him to stay on as caretaker.

-The EastAfrican