Eastern and Southern African leaders seek peace for DR Congo

Leaders of Eastern and Southern African regional blocs met for an unprecedented joint summit on Saturday to find a solution to a conflict in eastern Congo, where Rwandan-backed rebels’ rapid advance since January has fanned fears of a wider war.

The M23 rebels last week captured Goma, the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo – the worst escalation of fighting in more than a decade that has left thousands dead. Despite announcing a unilateral ceasefire, they have continued to march south towards the city of Bukavu.

Presidents, including Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, lined up on stage at the start of talks in Dar es Salaam. Congo’s Félix Tshisekedi attended via video link.

“History will judge us harshly if we remain still and watch the situation worsen, day by day,” Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan said at the opening ceremony.

The first-ever summit of both Eastern and Southern African blocs points to the continents’ deep concern over the crisis and the stand-off between Congo and neighbouring Rwanda, which denies allegations it is fuelling the conflict with its own troops and weapons.

The two groupings have, so far, been broadly divided over the conflict, with the eastern bloc closer to Rwanda’s call for dialogue and southern countries backing Congo and angry over the deaths of peacekeepers.