DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania— In a high-stakes diplomatic meeting, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi joined a regional summit on Saturday, February 8, 2025, where leaders called for an immediate ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, amid the escalating conflict in the country’s east.
The summit, held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, brought together eight member states of the East African Community (EAC) and representatives from the 16-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC).
While Kagame attended in person, Tshisekedi participated via video link.
M23 Offensive Sparks Regional Alarm
The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group has been conducting a rapid military offensive, capturing large swathes of North Kivu province, including the strategic city of Goma last week.
The rebel group has since begun advancing into South Kivu, threatening the town of Kavumu, home to an airport critical to supplying Congolese troops.
The Kenyan President William Ruto, who currently chairs the EAC, issued a direct appeal for de-escalation.
“We call on all parties to actualise the ceasefire, and specifically on the M23 to halt further advancement and the armed forces of DRC to cease all retaliatory measures,” Ruto said at the summit.
Presidents from Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe were among the leaders present.
Fear and Displacement in Eastern Congo
The rapid territorial gains by the M23 rebels have triggered mass panic in the region, forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes.
In Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, residents reported growing fear of looting and violence, with shops barricading their doors and schools suspending classes.
“The border with Rwanda is open but almost impassable because of the number of people trying to cross. It’s total chaos,” a Bukavu resident told reporters.
Since M23 entered Goma on January 26, nearly 3,000 people have been killed and another 2,880 wounded, according to UN human rights chief Volker Turk.
The actual death toll is expected to be significantly higher.
“If nothing is done, the worst may be yet to come for the people of the eastern DRC but also beyond the country’s borders,” Turk warned.
He added that UN investigators were currently verifying multiple allegations of rape, gang rape, and sexual slavery.
Rwanda’s Role and Longstanding Tensions
Despite Rwanda’s denial of military support for M23, a UN report last year concluded that Kigali had around 4,000 troops in the DRC and was profiting from the illegal smuggling of gold and coltan, a mineral crucial for manufacturing smartphones and laptops.
Rwanda has long accused the DRC of harbouring the FDLR, a Hutu-led armed group made up of fighters responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
M23 Tightens Control Over Goma, Vows to Push Forward
With Goma under its control, the M23 rebel group has already installed its own mayor and local authorities, cementing its governing grip over the strategic city.
The group has declared its intention to advance towards the DRC’s capital, Kinshasa, despite the city being 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) away across the vast country.
The DRC’s military, already plagued by corruption and inadequate training, has suffered multiple retreats, raising fears of a wider regional war.
Several African nations, including South Africa, Burundi, and Malawi, have sent military support to back the Congolese army.
A Fragile Path to Peace
The latest summit marks another diplomatic effort to end the conflict, but previous ceasefires have repeatedly collapsed, and peace negotiations hosted by Angola and Kenya have failed to produce lasting solutions.
With tensions between Rwanda and the DRC at a boiling point and M23 rebels continuing their advance, the region remains on edge.
For civilians trapped in the conflict, hopes for a lasting ceasefire remain as uncertain as ever.
