Botswana's Minister of International Affairs, Phenyo Butale, has said the continued conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is fuelling the proliferation of armed groups.

This reality is undermining regional security and economic development, disrupted cross-border trade, and exacerbated the illicit exploitation of natural resources, with adverse implications for peace and stability across the Great Lakes Region and beyond.

Speaking during the opening session of the meeting of the African Union Panel of Facilitators and the Independent Joint Secretariat on the peace process for the eastern DRC in Gaborone, Butale said the Central African country occupies a position of strategic importance on the continent.

Butale said the continued instability in the Eastern DRC has far-reaching consequences that extend beyond its national borders.

He added that the protracted conflict has resulted in the humanitarian crises marked by the displacement of millions of people, the tragic loss of countless lives, and the destruction of communities and livelihoods.

"These realities underscore the urgent need for a coordinated, inclusive and sustained political process. It is therefore encouraging that this meeting seeks to harmonise the various peace initiatives into a single, unified process for Eastern DRC. Botswana fully supports this endeavour, which reinforces the principle of collective responsibility in addressing African challenges."

For more than 30 years, the conflict in the eastern part of the DRC has remained one of Africa's most devastating and enduring human catastrophes.