African leaders gathered in Tanzania on Friday, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict-ridden eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi urged swift action, emphasizing that peace cannot be rushed but must be pursued relentlessly.
“Peace is not like instant coffee. You cannot brew it. We have a golden moment to help the people of Congo,” Mudavadi said.
The high-level ministerial meeting, co-chaired by Zimbabwe’s Foreign Minister Amon Murwira, set the stage for Saturday’s summit of heads of state and government.
Tensions between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda remain high, with Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi’s absence from a recent East African Community virtual summit raising concerns.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned the violence, revealing that nearly 3,000 people had been killed and over 500,000 displaced since January 26.
The staggering toll adds to the already dire situation, with 6.4 million people internally displaced across the country due to ongoing conflict.
Meanwhile, the remains of 14 South African National Defense Force soldiers killed in Congo are expected to be repatriated later on Friday.
As African leaders push for peace, the world watches closely, hoping that dialogue will prevail over destruction in one of the continent’s most volatile regions.