Tshisekedi snubs Ruto’s EAC emergency meeting, vows DRC won’t be crushed
The weeks-long offensive by the rebels has prompted warnings of a looming humanitarian crisis and growing international pressure to end the fighting.

Democratic Republics of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi has vowed to restore government authority in the east, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized control of the city of Goma and are reportedly advancing south to take more territory.
In a televised address to the nation, he said a “vigorous and coordinated response” against what he called “terrorists” was under way.
He criticised the international community for “inaction” and for not doing enough in the wake of the escalating security crisis.
The weeks-long offensive by the rebels has prompted warnings of a looming humanitarian crisis and growing international pressure to end the fighting.
During Wednesday night’s address, Tshisekedi rallied all Congolese to join together and support the army’s fight to retake control.
“Be sure of one thing: the Democratic Republic of Congo will not let itself be humiliated or crushed. We will fight and we will triumph,” he said.
The fighting has forced about 500,000 people from their homes, worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis, according to the UN.
Since the fighting began, the city has been cut off from electricity and water and food is in scarce supply.
Tshisekedi snubbed a virtual emergency meeting of the East Africa Community Heads of State Summit to address the unrest in his country.
Tshisekedi who snubbed the meeting convened by Kenya’s President William Ruto confirmed attendance at a separate meeting convened by southern African countries, putting into doubt his commitment to the EAC bloc.
Through spokesperson Tina Salama, President Tshisekedi said he could not attend the virtual meeting due to a scheduling conflict.
While it remains unclear whether the snub has left a foul smell among the EAC presidents, analysts had indicated it was going to take some doing for President Ruto to gather Tshisekedi and Kagame in one room virtual or not.
The EAC called for a joint summit with the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which is already in talks with the DRC.
Tshisekedi’s snub comes amid underlying conflicts among the various leaders with the DRC president being on record accusing Ruto of siding with Rwanda’s Paul Kagame.
He has recently shown little interest in EAC matters, skipped the last Heads of State Summit in Arusha late last year without apology.
During the virtual meeting held yesterday, the EAC Heads of State called for an immediate ceasefire in the eastern part of the DRC, as M23 rebels cement their control of Goma.
“The summit called on all parties to the conflict in Eastern DRC to cease hostilities and observe immediate and unconditional ceasefire and facilitate humanitarian access to the affected population,” A communique from the EAC virtual meeting stated in part.
“For peaceful settlement of the conflicts, and strongly urged the government of the DRC to engage directly with all stakeholders, including the M23 and other armed groups that have grievances,” the presidents demanded.
Present at the virtual meeting were Kenyan president and Current EAC Chairperson William Ruto, President Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, President Salva Kiir of South Sudan, President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.
This week, demonstrators in Goma attacked the embassies of France, Belgium, Netherlands, the US, Rwanda, Kenya, and the UN.
The African Union’s mediator between Rwanda and the DRC, Joao Lourenco, called for the immediate withdrawal of Rwanda’s troops from the DRC; however, Rwanda has insisted it has no troops in Congo.
A statement from Angola’s president’s office also called for leaders of both countries to urgently meet in Luanda to discuss the conflict.
Last month, a meeting between Tshisekedi and Kagame as part of an Angola-led peace process was canceled due to a lack of agreement.
During yesterday’s virtual meeting, Kagame stated that the allegations of M23 being from his country are not true and that his government does not fund them.
The Rwandan president stated that the rebels were Congolese.
“M23 is not Rwandans, these are Congolese, and one time he accepts it, and then another he says no, part of it is from Rwanda. How do we leaders of our own countries accept this to continue?” Kagame posed.
Kagame faulted the EAC Presidents for keeping quiet when The East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) was expelled from Eastern DRC by President Tshisekedi whom it was helping.
Kagame added that even the two peace processes that had been initiated before to negotiate solutions to the conflict were flawed because the people leading them became more important than the intended outcomes.
He urged the leaders to be objective and to focus on achieving the region’s common interests as opposed to individual interests.
He insisted that pursuing personal interests would not help deal with the serious situation at hand.
“If we keep saying good things to each other, being nice, and then each one fulfilling their interests other than the common interests we have as East Africans, then I don’t see how we are going to contribute effectively to finding a solution,” Kagame stated.