Synopsis
Kenyan President William Ruto announced a two-day summit for southern and eastern African leaders to address the crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The summit, hosted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, follows calls for a ceasefire and humanitarian access for displaced populations.Key Takeaways
- Extraordinary summit on DRC crisis announced.
- Leaders from southern and eastern Africa to attend.
- Hosted by Tanzania's President.
- Focus on ceasefire and humanitarian access.
- Key attendees include Ruto, Tshisekedi, and Kagame.
Nairobi, Feb 4 (NationPress) Leaders from southern and eastern African nations have decided to gather for a two-day extraordinary summit aimed at addressing the ongoing situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), announced Kenyan President William Ruto on Monday.
According to Ruto, a joint summit organized by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) is scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to deliberate on the conflict affecting eastern DRC, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
“President Samia Suluhu Hassan (Tanzania) has generously consented to host the summit for discussions regarding the situation in eastern DRC,” Ruto stated in a release from Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya.
This initiative followed a consensus reached between SADC Chairman and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Ruto, who also serves as the EAC chairperson.
Ruto confirmed that DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame will attend the summit, which will start with a ministerial meeting on Friday, followed by the heads of state gathering on Saturday. Other participating leaders include President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia.
On January 29, leaders of the EAC urged all parties involved in the conflict in eastern DRC to halt hostilities and adhere to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, ensuring that displaced communities gain access to humanitarian assistance.
The EAC, an intergovernmental organization focused on fostering economic, political, and social integration in the region, comprises Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Uganda.
SADC leaders, on January 31, called for constructive dialogue among all parties to restore peace and security in eastern DRC.
The bloc expressed its concern regarding the escalating attacks that have worsened the security and humanitarian conditions in the DRC, as highlighted in a communique released after the SADC Heads of State and Government summit held in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe.
