Rwanda ‘welcomes’ proposed summit on DR Congo conflict

Rwanda on Sunday welcomed calls for a joint regional summit over the escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The M23 armed group, that the UN and several nations claim is backed by Rwanda, have made substantial gains in eastern DRC, taking the major city of Goma and vowing to march on the capital.

It is the latest escalation in a mineral-rich region bedevilled by decades of fighting involving dozens of armed groups, and has rattled the continent with regional blocs holding emergency summits over the spiralling tensions.

The 16-nation South African Development Community on Friday called for a summit with the eight-country East African Community to “deliberate on the way forward regarding the security situation in the DRC”.

The Rwandan foreign ministry said it “welcomes the proposed joint summit”, adding in a statement it had “consistently advocated for a political solution to the ongoing conflict”.

The SADC emergency session was not attended by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda – which is not a member of the bloc – but Congolese leader Félix Tshisekedi was present virtually.