Kenyan President William Ruto has called for an immediate end to hostilities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as regional leaders gathered in Tanzania on Saturday for a crucial peace summit.
“We call on all parties to actualise the ceasefire, and specifically on the M23 to halt further advancement and the armed forces of DRC to cease all retaliatory measures,” stated Ruto, who currently chairs the East African Community.
“An immediate ceasefire is the only way by which we can create necessary conditions for constructive dialogue and implementation of a comprehensive peace agreement,” he added.
The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has launched a sweeping offensive across the mineral-rich eastern DRC, seizing vast areas of territory. The conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths and forced countless people from their homes.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese leader Félix Tshisekedi are both in attendance at the high-stakes discussions in Tanzania, which have brought together leaders from the eight-member East African Community and the 16-nation Southern African Development Community in a bid to find a path to lasting peace.
