African officials push for ceasefire in meeting to discuss Congo crisis

NAIROBI, Kenya

Top officials from East and Southern African nations urged an immediate ceasefire in eastern Congo on Friday, urging all parties to prioritize dialogue over conflict.

Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi, who co-chaired the summit, stressed the urgency of ending hostilities and prioritizing peace negotiations.

“Peace is not like instant coffee. You cannot brew it. We have a golden moment as the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community to help the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo,” Mudavadi told delegates at a ministerial meeting in Tanzania.

Zimbabwe’s Foreign Minister Amon Murwira, another co-chair, echoed Mudavadi’s sentiments, adding that the discussions set the stage for Saturday’s heads of state and government summit, where the presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo will meet amid their ongoing feud about the conflict in eastern Congo.

Congolese President Tshisekedi’s absence from the recent East African Community virtual summit raised concerns about his commitment to regional dialogue.

Speaking Friday at a special Human Rights Council session in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk condemned the escalating violence in eastern Congo. He reported that since Jan. 26, nearly 3,000 people have been killed, 2,880 injured and more than 500,000 displaced, adding to the 6.4 million already internally displaced.

The repatriation of the remains of 14 South African National Defense Force soldiers killed in the Congo is expected to take place later Friday.