Tshisekedi to skip EAC meeting amid DRC crisis

DRC President Felix Tshisekedi during President William Ruto swearing in at Kasarani Stadium on September 13th, 2022. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi has vowed to skip a planned emergency meeting of East African Community (EAC) leaders, amid escalating tensions with Rwanda.

Local media reported that Tshisekedi will not meet his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, following the entry of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels into the Congolese city of Goma.

"The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, will not participate in the virtual summit of heads of state of the East African Community," the official Congolese Press Agency (ACP) announced on Wednesday.

The meeting was expected to be convened by Kenya's President William Ruto in his capacity as the EAC chairperson.

However, Ruto has since traveled to Egypt, and no official confirmation of the meeting has been issued.

Meanwhile, President Kagame stated on X that he had spoken with the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about ensuring a ceasefire and addressing the root causes of the conflict.

Reports indicate that M23 rebels, allegedly backed by Rwanda, have captured parts of Goma since Sunday.

Kagame has denied any involvement, despite a United Nations expert report estimating that up to 4,000 Rwandan forces are operating inside the DRC.