By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
Rwanda has welcomed the call for a joint summit between the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) to tackle the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “We welcome the proposed joint summit” and reiterated its consistent stance for a “political solution to the ongoing conflict.”
The M23 rebel group, which the UN and several countries allege is backed by Rwanda, has made significant advances in eastern DRC, capturing Goma and threatening to push further.
Rwanda has voiced concerns about DRC’s support for the FDLR, a militia involved in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, accusing the DRC of sheltering the group.
Rwanda also criticized the involvement of SADC peacekeepers in DRC, with the foreign ministry asserting, “They should not be there because they are adding to the problems that already existed.”
The call for the joint summit follows the deaths of peacekeepers from South Africa and Malawi during the conflict in Goma, and aims to find a path forward for peace in the region.
