NAIROBI: Rwanda welcomed on Sunday calls for a summit of two African regional groups to discuss the escalating conflict in DR Congo. The M23 armed group, that the UN and several nations say is backed by Rwanda, have made substantial gains in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, taking the major city of Goma and vowing to march on the capital.
The 16-nation South African Development Community called for a summit with the eight-country East African Community to "deliberate on the way forward regarding the security situation in the DRC". The Rwandan foreign ministry said it "welcomes the proposed joint summit", adding in a statement it had "consistently advocated for a political solution to the ongoing conflict". The SADC emergency session was not attended by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda -- which is not a member of the bloc -- but Congolese leader Felix Tshisekedi was present virtually. Earlier in the week, Kagame appeared at an EAC emergency session when the DR Congo president was absent. — AFP
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