DR Congo Crisis: East African Heads of State Convene Emergence Meeting to avert war between Kigali and Kinshasa
Goma has fallen and tensions escalate as East African Community Convenes extraordinary summit Over Congo Crisis
The East African Community Heads of State are convening an extraordinary summit to address escalating tensions between two of the EAC member states, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
Announced by the Chairperson of the East African Community, William Ruto, the Kenyan President, the meeting should bring together the DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame amid growing regional unrest.
This development follows the March 23 rebels’ capture of Goma, with reports confirming Rwandan soldiers disarmed Congolese forces during the Northern Congo Province takeover.
Rwanda has been accused of backing the M23 troops a claim which the Kigali State House vehemently denies.
However, the United States Secretary-General António Guterres recently urged Rwanda to cease its alleged support. The United States has also been pointing fingers at Kigali for the unrest in Northern DR Congo.
On the other hand the DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi is seeking parliamentary approval to declare full-scale war against Rwanda, intensifying fears of a broader regional conflict.
Now the extraordinary summit is attempting to de-escalate tensions and find a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis in the DR Congo as well as the animosity between Kinshasa and Kigali.
Both the DR Congo and Rwanda are members of the Arusha pivoted East African Community. Their ongoing clashes seem to be taking a drastic toll on the EAC cooperation.
The situation remains volatile as regional and international stakeholders closely monitor the conflict’s developments, which have cost many lives, displaced thousands and destabilized the eastern parts of DR Congo.
But while Rwanda is being accused of funding the rebels in DR Congo, Kinshasa is also facing its own internal conflicts and recently, there have been reports of the immediate fourth republican President, Joseph Kabila ganging up with the Ensemble pour la République leader Moise Katumbi, forging plans to oust President Tshisekedi.