United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has urged respect for the Democratic Republic of Congo’s territorial integrity, warning against a regional war.
Speaking at the African Union summit on Saturday, Guterres called for diplomacy as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seized more Congolese territory.
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame attended the summit in Addis Ababa, while Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi was absent due to the worsening conflict.
M23 fighters, having captured Goma last month, advanced into South Kivu and took Bukavu, a crucial city, on Friday, security sources confirmed.
“The fighting in South Kivu threatens to push the entire region over the precipice,” Guterres said, without explicitly naming Rwanda.
He insisted on dialogue and declared, “A regional escalation must be avoided at all costs—there is no military solution.”
The European Union condemned the ongoing violation of DRC’s sovereignty, warning that it “will not go unanswered.”
The African Union has faced criticism for its restrained response despite the looming risk of a wider conflict.
A high-level AU Peace and Security Council meeting extended into Friday night, with neither Kagame nor Tshisekedi attending.
Tshisekedi remained in the DRC to monitor the crisis, while clashes and looting continued in Bukavu on Saturday.
Residents reported armed groups raiding supermarkets and food warehouses, while sporadic gunfire echoed through the city.
A local trader described looters “grabbing cans of oil, crates of beer, and bags of flour as chaos unfolded.”UN warns Africa summit of risk of regional war in DR Congo
