from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya Bureau
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – EFFORTS by the East African Community (EAC) to resolve the dispute in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) could not have gone off to a worst possible start after the failure by that country’s president to attend a virtual summit called by the bloc.
President Félix Tshisekedi cited “scheduling reasons” for his absence, in what is seen as a snub of the extraordinary summit that was called for by the president of Kenya, William Ruto, who is the chairman of the eight-member EAC.
Tina Salama, the DRC presidential spokesperson, confirmed the non-participation of her principal for Wednesday’s (today’s) meeting.
Earlier it had been reported Tshisekedi and his Rwandan colleague, Paul Kagame, would participate at the event arranged urgently because of the escalating situation in the eastern DRC where the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group, apparently backed by Rwanda, was on the verge of seizing the strategic city of Goma in the North Kivu.
Another meeting scheduled for December 2024 also hit a snag.
Calling for this week’s summit, Ruto had advocated for direct dialogue between Tshisekedi’s government and the M23.
“Consultations, dialogue and engagement are the only viable ways out of the situation in eastern DRC,” Ruto addressed journalists in Nairobi.
The Congolese government is against this stance, citing M23 as a terrorist organisation. Tshisekedi has also described the EAC-led process as “poorly managed.”
Tshisekedi has previously accused Ruto of being biased as a mediator in DRC’S fallout with Rwanda.
“I must confess, President Ruto is supporting Rwanda, and I won’t say anything more about that,” he was quoted as saying last year at the Brookings Institution session.
DRC was also infuriated when former president of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), Corneille Nangaa, formed the Congo River Alliance, at a meeting of rebel groups at the Kenyan capital Nairobi.
It is an ally of the M23.
Earlier this week, new United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, spoke with Ruto over the phone, reiterating the “importance” of Kenya’s role in promoting regional peace and security in DRC as well as Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan.
On Wednesday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted that relative calm was observed in Goma since midday on Tuesday, where the M23 appeared to have taken control of a significant portion of the city following intense fighting with the Congolese army.
Reports have emerged of looting of shops, offices, and warehouses belonging to humanitarian organisations.
Humanitarian sources report several incidents of violations of international humanitarian law, including sexual assault allegedly perpetrated by armed groups.
Tearfund, the aid agency, described the situation as dire.
Poppy Anguandia, Tearfund’s Country Director for the DRC, said ongoing fighting meant that people who had already fled their homes were now being forced to flee again.
“This means they are incredibly vulnerable – going from a camp where they had nothing into a city where they have even less,” Anguandia said.
– CAJ News