Tshisekedi will attend the regional forum on the crisis in eastern Congo

His spokesperson announced on Thursday that President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo will attend a joint summit of leaders from Eastern and Southern Africa in Tanzania on February 7-8 to address the conflict in eastern Congo.

On Wednesday, M23 rebels, who are supported by Rwanda, captured another mining town in South Kivu province as they pushed southward toward the provincial capital Bukavu. This action violated a unilateral ceasefire that they had declared earlier in the week.

Tina Salama, the presidential spokesperson, assured Reuters that Tshisekedi would participate in the summit. However, she did not specify whether he would attend virtually or travel to Tanzania’s commercial capital, Dar es Salam.

Rwanda’s Foreign Minister announced on Monday that President Paul Kagame was also anticipated to attend the summit.