DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi will not attend a crisis meeting with his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame scheduled for Wednesday, state media said, after Rwanda-backed fighters entered the Congolese town of Goma.
“The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, will not participate in the virtual summit of heads of state of the East African Community,” the official Congolese Press Agency, ACP, said on Wednesday.
Later on Wednesday, President Paul Kagame’s spokesperson confirmed that the Rwandan leader would still attend the summit.
Details of the virtual EAC summit remain unclear. Kenyan president William Ruto who is the chairman of the EAC called the meeting to discuss the crisis in Goma.
International observers have urged a halt to the fighting, with the UN, the United States, China and the European Union all calling on Rwanda to withdraw its forces from the region.
At a UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday, the DRC called on countries “to have the courage to do what is right”.
Rebels M23 have taken over Goma in a move that has left at least 17 people dead.
Groups raided Kenyan, Ugandan, French, US and Rwandan embassies in Kinshasa on Tuesday in protest against the events in Goma.
By Agencies
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