East African heads of state gathered on Saturday in a renewed effort to address the persistent violence in eastern Congo, but the summit’s effectiveness was overshadowed by the absence of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and the early departure of Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
The closed-door meeting in Arusha ended with a communique emphasizing the need to align regional and international initiatives for sustainable peace in the conflict-ridden region.
Eastern Congo remains embroiled in one of the world’s longest-running conflicts, with fresh violence erupting in mineral-rich areas near the Rwandan border. Congo has accused the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group of committing “ethnic cleansing” in the area.
Rwanda denies backing M23 but has admitted to deploying troops and missile systems in eastern Congo, citing security threats near its border. U.N. experts estimate that up to 4,000 Rwandan forces are present in the region, heightening tensions.
Efforts to mediate have seen limited success, including a July truce brokered by the U.S. and Angola, which reduced direct clashes between Rwandan and Congolese forces but failed to halt militia violence.
The summit saw participation from Kenyan President William Ruto, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and Burundi’s vice president.
Ruto, elected as the new chairperson of the East African Community (EAC) Summit, urged unity among member states to promote regional stability and economic growth.
“Our focus must be on competitiveness, value-added production, and intra-regional trade to create jobs and transform economies,” Ruto stated, while emphasizing the importance of timely financial contributions to the EAC.
Despite regional calls for peace, the absence of Congo’s leadership underscores the challenges in resolving the protracted crisis.
