Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi attended a summit in Tanzania where regional leaders urgently called for an “immediate ceasefire” in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The M23 armed group, backed by Rwanda, has rapidly seized large areas in the mineral-rich eastern DRC, causing thousands of deaths and displacing many. Last week, the group captured the strategic city of Goma, North Kivu’s capital, and is advancing into South Kivu, escalating the ongoing turmoil in the region.
Kagame attended the summit in Dar es Salaam, which included leaders from the eight East African Community (EAC) countries and the 16-member South African Development Community (SADC).
Kenyan President William Ruto, who currently chairs the EAC, called on all parties to implement the ceasefire, urging M23 to halt its advances and the DRC’s armed forces to stop retaliatory actions. Other leaders present included the presidents of Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
