EAC summit urges DR Congo government to engage with M23 rebels directly
DRC President Felix Tshisekedi was absent, as had earlier been confirmed by his spokesperson Tina Salama.
An emergency extraordinary summit of the East African Community heads of state Wednesday evening strongly urged the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to directly engage with all the armed groups that have been wreaking havoc in eastern parts of the country, including the M23, for a peaceful settlement of the ongoing conflict.
The summit, convened by EAC Chairperson President William Ruto, deliberated on the developments in eastern DRC and the deteriorating security situation which has led to the loss of lives, humanitarian crisis, and suffering of the people in particular women and children.
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It expressed concern about the expanding crisis manifesting in attacks on diplomatic missions, embassies, and staff based in Kinshasa.
"Accordingly, the summit urged the government of DRC to protect diplomatic missions, lives, and property," a communique shared after the meeting said.
It further called on all parties to the conflict to cease hostilities and observe an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, as well as facilitate humanitarian access to the affected population.
Noting that the South African Development Community (SADC) has also been involved in Eastern DRC, the summit decided to hold a joint EAC-SADC summit in the coming days to deliberate on the way forward.
The joint summit is likely to take place over the weekend after SADC's extraordinary meeting scheduled for today (Thursday) in Harare, Zimbabwe.
President Ruto, President Samia Suluhu Hassan (Tanzania), Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (Somalia), Evariste Ndashimiye (Burundi), Salva Kiir (South Sudan), Paul Kagame (Rwanda) and Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (Uganda) were present at the emergency summit.
Tshisekedi absent
DRC President Felix Tshisekedi was absent, as had earlier been confirmed by his spokesperson Tina Salama.
"For scheduling reasons, the President (Felix Tshisekedi) will not participate in the virtual EAC summit," the spokesperson had told local media in Kinshasa.
Hours later, a communication by Angola confirmed that President Tshisekedi had flown to Luanda for talks with his counterpart Joao Lourenco as EAC heads of state virtually met over the security situation in Goma.
"Within the framework of the mediation efforts undertaken by President Joao Lourenco, with a view to the restoration of peace and security in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the president of that neighbouring country, Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, travelled today to Luanda, for a joint analysis of the following steps to give in the context of the Luanda process, taking into account the situation created with the taking of Goma by rebel forces," Angola said in a post on social media.
The end of the EAC summit however saw the start of yet another conflict between Rwanda and South Africa, ignited by President Cyril Ramaphosa's earlier reference to Rwandan Defence Forces as militia.
"Following the recent intensification of fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa has lost 13 brave soldiers who were dedicated to their mission and committed to peace. The fighting is the result of an escalation by the rebel group M23 and Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) militia engaging the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and attacking peacekeepers from the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC)," President Ramaphosa had said in a post on X.
He added that South Africa's military presence in the eastern DRC was not a declaration of war against any country or state, in reference to Rwanda.
Bring peace
"The members of the South African National Defence Force that are in the DRC are part of both SADC and United Nations efforts to bring peace and protect thousands of lives that are constantly threatened by the conflict in the DRC," he said.
The remarks irked President Kagame who in a post on X retorted that the Rwanda Defence Force is an army, not a militia.
He added "SAMIDRC is not a peacekeeping force, and it has no place in this situation. It was authorised by SADC as a belligerent force engaging in offensive combat operations to help the DRC government fight against its own people, working alongside genocidal armed groups like FDLR which target Rwanda, while also threatening to take the war to Rwanda itself."
Kagame further confirmed that he had engaged Ramaphosa twice on the issue of eastern DRC this week only for their conversations to end up misreported in media by South African officials and the president with distortions, deliberate attacks, and even lies.
"If words can change so much from a conversation to a public statement, it says a lot about how these very important issues are being managed. If South Africa wants to contribute to peaceful solutions, that is well and good, but South Africa is in no position to take on the role of a peacemaker or mediator. And if South Africa prefers confrontation, Rwanda will deal with the matter in that context any day," President Kagame warned.
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