Leaders from eastern and southern Africa have urged an immediate ceasefire in eastern Congo as rebel forces advance.
The summit, held in Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam, called on Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi to engage in direct negotiations with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
Tshisekedi, attending via videoconference, has repeatedly refused to negotiate with M23, accusing them of exploiting Congo’s vast mineral wealth.
A final communiqué urged dialogue with all parties, including M23, after intense clashes left nearly 3,000 dead and displaced hundreds of thousands.
The meeting brought together the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community, marking an unprecedented regional push for peace.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attended, despite tensions over South Africa’s military presence in eastern Congo.
Rwanda has blamed the deployment of regional troops for escalating violence, while Kagame insists they are not neutral peacekeepers but direct combatants.
The United Nations reports that M23 is backed by 4,000 Rwandan troops, while Congo’s forces receive support from peacekeepers, militias, and neighboring Burundi.
Fighting is now centered on preventing the rebels from capturing Bukavu, a strategic city in South Kivu province.
Kenyan President William Ruto, chair of the East African Community, emphasized that “dialogue is not a sign of weakness but a path to peace.”
A rebel coalition known as the Congo River Alliance claims it is fighting against a government that has failed its people.
The alliance, led by Corneille Nangaa, has expressed willingness to negotiate but also demands political reforms and recognition.
The summit called for M23 to withdraw from Goma and urged the reopening of the city’s airport to facilitate humanitarian aid.