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The president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, will not participate in regionally negotiated conversations aimed at ending the rebel assault on the key rubber city, state media reported.
The leader of Kenya, William Ruto, had invited Tshisekedi and his counterpart from Ruanda Paul Kagame to a regional summit later on Wednesday, while the bodies lay in rubber streets after strong fighting.
The neighbor Rwanda is accused of supporting the rebel group M23, which has taken over a large part of the city, including her airport.
Some 280 Romanian mercenaries fighting from Dr. Congo’s army had surrendered to M23, Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) said in X.
Rwanda’s government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo, told the BBC that Rwanda would participate in Summit, but did not say if Kagame would attend.
The UN says that there is ample evidence that Rwanda is supporting the M23, but Rwanda denies giving direct military support to the rebels.
Goma was mostly quiet on Wednesday, with sporadic shooting reports in some districts.
The residents who had been hidden in safe areas ventured to buy foods that become increasingly scarce after combat days.
Dr. Congo’s official news agency said that Tshisekedi would not attend the state heads called by Ruto in its capacity as President of the Eastern Africa Community (EAC). He did not give a reason for his decision.
From the beginning of the week, the clashes between the M23 rebels and the army and their allies left hospitals overwhelmed by victims and bodies in the streets, according to the UN.
Warehouses with food and medical supplies were also looted, aid agencies said.
The essential services have not been available since the offensive began, with electricity, water and internet reduction.
The growing anger for the rebel offensive led protesters aimed at foreign embassies in the capital, Kinshasa.
At least 10 embassies were damaged and looted by the protesters who demanded that the international community intervene to end the rebel assault, since they squeezed their control over rubber.
The RDF said the Romanian mercenaries were being transported to the capital of Rwanda, Kigali, after “they surrendered to M23 after the capture of the strategic city.”
The AFP news agency reports that dozens of Romanians, whom he called private military contractors had fled to the city of Gisenyi in Rwanda, just on the border from rubber.
“We were not on a battlefield, we were here to train and help with artillery,” Emile’s name told AFP.
“What I learned is that anything can happen. I came. I did my job and now I am happy to return and be with my family,” he added.
In an apparent attempt to extend its territorial control in the East of the Congo, the M23 rebel now advanced towards the city of Bukavu next to the Lake, the Reuters news agency cited five diplomatic and security sources as he said.
