Regional leaders at a joint East African Community and Southern African Development Community summit demanded an immediate ceasefire in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo Thursday, responding to mounting violence in the region.
The Dar es Salaam gathering, led by EAC Chair William Ruto of Kenya and SADC Chair Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, ordered defense chiefs to meet within five days. These military leaders must create plans to enforce the ceasefire, secure Goma, and reopen critical routes, including Goma Airport.
Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu warned summit attendees about their historic responsibility. "History will judge us harshly if we remain still and watch the situation worsen day by day," she said, emphasizing African-led solutions for the continent's challenges.
The meeting highlighted notable absences. Burundi's President Évariste Ndayishimiye chose to attend a prayer breakfast in the United States instead of the regional summit despite his country's troops serving in eastern DR Congo. DR Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi participated remotely through video link, sending Prime Minister Judith Suminwa as his representative in Tanzania.
Tshisekedi's limited engagement follows his recent absence from an EAC emergency summit and Luanda peace talks, reflecting ongoing tensions between Kinshasa and Rwanda. The summit addressed recent attacks on diplomatic missions in Kinshasa, urging DR Congo's government to protect foreign personnel and MONUSCO peacekeepers.
The gathered leaders backed political and diplomatic solutions as the most effective path forward, calling for unified regional peace efforts through both the Luanda and Nairobi processes. They expressed sympathies for victims of recent violence and stressed the importance of peaceful conflict resolution.
This push for stronger regional coordination faces immediate tests as military leaders prepare to implement the ceasefire. The limited attendance of key figures at the summit raised questions about the political will to achieve lasting peace in the region.
The Dar es Salaam gathering, led by EAC Chair William Ruto of Kenya and SADC Chair Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, ordered defense chiefs to meet within five days. These military leaders must create plans to enforce the ceasefire, secure Goma, and reopen critical routes, including Goma Airport.
Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu warned summit attendees about their historic responsibility. "History will judge us harshly if we remain still and watch the situation worsen day by day," she said, emphasizing African-led solutions for the continent's challenges.
The meeting highlighted notable absences. Burundi's President Évariste Ndayishimiye chose to attend a prayer breakfast in the United States instead of the regional summit despite his country's troops serving in eastern DR Congo. DR Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi participated remotely through video link, sending Prime Minister Judith Suminwa as his representative in Tanzania.
Tshisekedi's limited engagement follows his recent absence from an EAC emergency summit and Luanda peace talks, reflecting ongoing tensions between Kinshasa and Rwanda. The summit addressed recent attacks on diplomatic missions in Kinshasa, urging DR Congo's government to protect foreign personnel and MONUSCO peacekeepers.
The gathered leaders backed political and diplomatic solutions as the most effective path forward, calling for unified regional peace efforts through both the Luanda and Nairobi processes. They expressed sympathies for victims of recent violence and stressed the importance of peaceful conflict resolution.
This push for stronger regional coordination faces immediate tests as military leaders prepare to implement the ceasefire. The limited attendance of key figures at the summit raised questions about the political will to achieve lasting peace in the region.
