East African leaders call for cessation of hostilities in Congo

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - Heads of state of the East African Community (EAC) bloc on Tuesday called on warring parties in the Democratic Republic of Congo to stop fighting in the eastern North Kivu province, where violent clashes between government troops and M23 rebels have displaced thousands.

The leaders made the call after a high-level consultative meeting of the summit of EAC heads of state convened on the margins of the COP27 climate change conference in Sharm el-Sheikh Egypt on Monday to deliberate on the security situation in Eastern Congo, according to a statement issued Tuesday.

“The heads of state reviewed the recent developments in North Kivu, particularly the resurgence of violence and called for cessation of hostilities to give chance to the political negotiations due to commence from Nov. 16 in Nairobi, Kenya,” said the statement.

The Nairobi peace process was launched by the East African Community bloc in April under the chair of former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“The heads of state reaffirmed their commitment to a political solution as the only sustainable path to security in eastern DR Congo and underscored the need for inclusivity through the participation of all stakeholders in the political process,” the statement said.

Since the resumption of clashes between the Congolese army and M23 rebels last month, the rebels have captured key towns of Kiwanja and Rutshuru, near the city of Goma, the provincial capital.

After about a week of lull, violent clashes were reported again on Tuesday morning in the territory of Rutshuru, North Kivu.

The Congolese troops reportedly bombed at least two strategic positions of M23 rebels, in Tchanzu, in the Jomba grouping and in Musungati, a hill in Virunga National Park.

In a statement, Laurence Kanyuka, one of M23’s political leaders, acknowledged that government troops had bombed areas occupied by his group.

Authorities in Kinshasa have excluded M23 fighters from peace talks, claiming the terrorist group is being externally supported to continue the war.

​​​​​​​ Congo accuses Rwanda of backing M23 rebels, but Kigali dismissed this as “scapegoating.”

Last month, tensions between the two neighboring countries hit a new low after Kinshasa expelled the Rwandan ambassador to the country, as fighting escalated between the M23 rebels and government troops.

Rwanda on Monday accused Congo of violating its airspace when its Sukhoi-25 fighter jet briefly landed at Rubavu Airport in western Rwanda.

The consultative meeting in Egypt was attended by presidents Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, who is also chairperson of the East African Community, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, William Ruto of Kenya, and Samia Suluhu of Tanzania, plus Congo Prime Minister Sama Lukonde, who represented President Felix Tshisekedi, and EAC Secretary General Peter Mathuki.