A quadripartite summit of four regional blocs has demanded an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in an effort to end the decades-long war.

The resolution was made by heads of States and government of the East African Community (EAC), Economic Community of Central African States (Eccas), International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and Southern African Development Community (Sadc) at a meeting held in the Angolan capital Luanda Tuesday. The instability in mineral-rich east DRC is a concern all over the globe.

On Monday, the United States warned that withdrawing UN peacekeepers from the DRC, which Kinshasa has suggested take place after December elections would be premature.

Last week, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said that since March 2022 alone, 5.7 million people have been displaced in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and hurl.

Overall, 6.2 million people have fled their homes across the country – the highest number in Africa.