SADC chairman vows to help DR Congo out of crisisBy XINHUA | Tuesday, February 26  2013 at  12:10

Mozambican President Armando Guebuza, who holds the presidency of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), vows to continue working for a sustainable solution to the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).

The Mozambique News Agency on Monday quoted Guebuza as saying the agreement signed on Sunday in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa was aimed at ending all outside interference in the internal affairs of DR Congo.

"We will continue to do our best to help this sister nation recover the conditions necessary for leading the country to social and economic development," he said.

President Guebuza said the agreement is not, in itself, a solution to the Congolese crisis; rather it was an important step to help the country turn a new page in its turbulent history.

Sunday's agreement, Guebuza said, should complement the efforts undertaken by the SADC, the United Nations and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).

DR Congo is a member of both the SADC and the ICGLR.

Guebuza urged the Congolese to capitalise on this historic opportunity by deepening mutual trust, seeking consensus wherever necessary, and embarking on pragmatic and constructive compromises that can carry the political process forward.

Notably absent from Addis Ababa were members of the M23 movement or any of the other rebel groups operating in the east of DR Congo.