African Leaders Call for Immediate Ceasefire and Dialogue in Congo Conflict

Joint summit of East and Southern African blocs urges halt to hostilities and humanitarian action as M23 rebels advance in eastern Congo.

Leaders from the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) convened a joint summit in Tanzania to address escalating violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The summit directed military chiefs to develop a plan within five days for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and cessation of hostilities.
The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have captured the strategic city of Goma and are advancing further into South Kivu, displacing hundreds of thousands and leaving nearly 3,000 dead, according to the UN.
The summit called for the withdrawal of foreign armed forces from Congolese territory and the reopening of Goma's airport to facilitate humanitarian aid.
Regional leaders emphasized the need for dialogue, with some urging Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi to negotiate directly with the M23 rebels despite his refusal to do so in the past.