On Wednesday, January 29, President William Ruto hosted a meeting with East African presidents to address the escalating security concerns in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Leaders of the East African Community, consisting of Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, Burundi's President Évariste Ndayishimiye, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, attended the meeting.
Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi did not attend the East African Community Heads of State Extraordinary Summit.
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The Democratic Republic of the Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi was scheduled to attend the African Union meeting, however, he will be unable to make it due to conflicting commitments, according to his spokesperson Tina Salama.
Reports suggested that instead of attending the EAC summit, President Tshisekedi decided to participate in a meeting organized by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to address the same security concerns.
Ties between the DRC and EAC member states are strained, with the country accusing the regional bloc of exhibiting bias.
This put Ruto, also the chairman of the East African Community, in a difficult situation as the president of the country at the center of the talks was not present.
What topics were addressed at the East African Community summit?
According to an official statement from the head of state, the summit focused on the deteriorating security conditions and instability in eastern DRC, resulting in loss of life and a humanitarian disaster.
The summit also expressed its condolences to the families of people who lost loved ones during the security crisis and wished a speedy recovery to those who were injured.
The summit expressed concerns about the growing emergency situation stemming from attacks on diplomatic missions, embassies, and staff based in Kinshasa. In response, the summit called on the DRC government to safeguard diplomatic missions, lives, and properties.
More to follow...