Uhuru slams EAC secretariat for withholding allowances meant for DRC delegates

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday castigated the top brass of the East African Community (EAC) for withholding the allowances of delegates participating in the third session of the inter-Congolese peace talks held in Nairobi.

The former Head of State, the EAC facilitator of peace talks to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was on Monday forced to postpone a session after some Congolese participants walked out decrying withheld allowances.

The former president moved the session to Tuesday citing that he needed time to address the aforementioned complaints.

Speaking on Tuesday, just moments before officially closing the third and final phase of the Nairobi peace talks session, Mr Kenyatta hinted that his timely intervention had forced the hand of the EAC secretariat.

He however slammed the EAC noting that the fracas involving the unpaid allowances could have been avoided if the regional body had been more organised beforehand.

“I would like to thank the EAC secretariat. Yesterday, we had a falling out because you had wronged my people (delegates) but I see that you are finally on the right track,” he said.

“Moving forward, I would like to urge the secretariat to make plans in good time in order to avoid such mishaps. We were here to talk peace and not to discuss where the travelling delegates would be sleeping. Thank you but don’t do that again.”

Kenyatta went on to say that the parties involved in the conflict had committed to a speedy resolution citing that he was optimistic that the gains made in Nairobi would be built upon in the next phase of the talks which will be held in Goma, DRC, in January 2023.

“We are happy with the progress; we are not saying we have completed everything but we have managed to achieve some milestones in terms of issues that will be undertaken by the DRC government and other aspects which will be completed by some of the delegates present,” he said.

“We have agreed we will have a follow-up meeting and that is why we were saying all parties should sign the communique so that every participant can take responsibility for their commitments. I am hopeful that when we meet again in Goma, we should be able to report progress on the items agreed upon here and then engage on some of the medium and long-term agenda items that require time at our next meeting.”