President William Ruto has called for an end to hostilities witnessed in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the joint Southern African Development Community (SADC) and East African Community (EAC) summit in Tanzania on Saturday, February 8, 2025, Ruto urged all warring factions to cease military action.
“The recent escalation of hostilities in Goma and its surrounding areas is a stark reminder of the increasing fragility the situation presents and that only collective action to facilitate a negotiated solution will offer relief,” Ruto said.
“Our presence here underscores our consensus that the time for action is now,” Ruto observed.
Ruto appeals to M23
Ruto called for a dialogue between the parties involved in the ongoing tensions between rebel groups led by M23 and the DRC military who are attempting to push back their advancement deep into the country’s main capital city.
“We join together to reiterate our calls to the parties to this tragic conflict to immediately cease hostilities and take positive action to allow meaningful dialogue aimed at restoration of stability. We call on all parties to actualize the ceasefire and specifically on the M23 to halt further advancement and the armed forces of DRC to cease all retaliatory measures,” Ruto appealed.
He further observed the disregard for international law and rules of engagement, stating that it was wrong for the warring factions to target diplomatic missions and peacekeepers drawn from various regions of the continent.
Military solution
Ruto equally stated that the ongoing conflict in the DRC cannot be solved through a military intervention due to the complexities involved and that only dialogue to establish the root cause of tensions in the area.
“Such a conflict cannot be solved through military means. We must resist the temptation to think that we can somehow shoot or bombard our way into a solution in the face of such a complex situation,” Ruto noted.
The heads of state attending in person are Zambia President Hichilema Hakainde, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, Kenya’s William Ruto, Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu, Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh, Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa and Rwanda’s Kagame.
Others are African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, Burundi’s Prime Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca, Angola’s Minister of External Relations Tete Antonio, Minister for EAC in South Sudan Deng Alor, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malawi Nancy Tembo, South Africa’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ronald Lamola and the Madagascar Minister for Armed Forces Gen Sahivelo Monja.
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