East African leaders on Saturday called for an immediate ceasefire in the Easter Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the extra-ordinary EAC summit held in Burundi’s capital Bujumbura.
The summit was attended by all EAC leaders except South Sudan’s Salva Kiir who was hosting Pope Francis in Juba.
DRC President Felix Antoine Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame attended the summit.
The summit resolved that an “immediate ceasefire by all parties” and the withdrawal of all armed groups, including foreign, in a statement be enforced.
The heads of state also directed army chiefs to meet within a week to set timelines for the withdrawal, while also highlighting “the need for enhanced dialogue among all the parties”.
This summit comes hot on the heels of a worsening relationship between Rwanda and DRC involving the former shooting down the latter’s military jet, while DRC also retaliated by expelling three Rwandan officials from Goma.
East African Community Secretary-General Peter Mathuki, in a letter dated February 1, asked Kinshasa to clarify why Rwandan officers serving at the regional force Headquarters in Goma were expelled.
DRC is yet to answer but continues to accuse Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels.
