Ruto will meet with EAC leaders following Goma’s encirclement by M23 rebels

The East African Community (EAC) is chaired by Kenyan President William Ruto, who said that he will call a summit of regional leaders to discuss the growing security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where rebels have threatened to take over the city of Goma.

The capital of North Kivu province, whose military governor Peter Cirimwami was slain on the battlefield on Thursday, was encircled by M23 rebels on Sunday, January 26. According to rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, operations in Lake Kivu were halted and the Goma airspace was stopped.

Ruto declared on Sunday that “the rapidly worsening peace and security situation in the DRC is of grave concern” and demanded an end to violence immediately and unconditionally.

The Kenyan leader claimed to have held conversations with Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Paul Kagame of Rwanda.

“We will hold an Extraordinary Summit within the next 48 hours to map out the course of action, after consulting with the Heads of State of EAC Member States,” Ruto declared.

On Monday, the rebels, who have been engaged in combat with the Congolese army since late 2021, threatened to take over Goma unless government soldiers surrendered their guns.

The homicidal FDLR militia, the Wazalendo group, 10,000 Burundian troops, 1,600 European mercenaries, and South Africa-led SADC forces are all part of the Congolese army’s alliance.

The African Union “must not remain passive in the face of this escalating crisis,” according to President Ruto.

According to him, the EAC was prepared to work with the AU and the SADC grouping to push the warring parties to prioritize engagement.

After seizing Goma in 2012 and holding it for more than a week, M23’s forces were routed and left, only to reappear in late 2021.

The Congolese government has rejected any chance of engaging in peace negotiations with a group it labels a terrorist outfit, while the rebels want direct peace discussions with them.

The rebels claim they fight to defend villages targeted by genocidal militias like the FDLR and Wazalendo, which are backed by the government.

The Congolese government is seeking a military solution since regional efforts, including the AU-backed Luanda process and the EAC-led Nairobi process, have failed to bring the war to a political conclusion.