Eastern and Southern Africa leaders urge immediate fire after the summit

Eastern and southern Africa leaders have asked for immediate and unconditional fire to put an end to mortal fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In a crisis summit in Tanzania, the blocks of the Southern African Development Community and the Eastern Africa Community (EAC) urged all parties to make peace conversations in five days, even with the M23 rebel rebel rebels By Rwanda.

The rebels, who fight against government forces, have seized vast stripes of land in the east of the Congo, including the rubber city. His impulse towards Bukavu has generated fears of a broader regional war.

As part of their conversations, army chiefs have also been told to elaborate a rubber security plan and the surrounding areas.

The UN figures of the UN suggest that 2,900 people have been killed since the beginning of January, as a result of the hostilities between M23 and the armed forces of DR Congo.

It is estimated that around 700,000 were displaced and thousands more injured.

Saturday’s meeting is Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, brought together the heads of state and government representatives to try to resolve the worsening of security and the humanitarian situation.

“The summit emphasizes that political and diplomatic commitment is the most sustainable solution for the conflict,” said follow -up communication.

He also demanded the reopening of the rubber airport and other key routes to facilitate humanitarian aid, as well as the withdrawal of non -invited foreign armed forces from Congolese territory.

M23, which consists of ethnic tutsis, says they are fighting for the rights of minorities, while the Dr Congo government says that the rebels backed by Rwanda are seeking control of the vast mineral wealth of the eastern region.

The president of Ruanda, Paul Kagame, who was at the summit, has repeatedly denied any participation to support the rebels.

But, As reported last month for Ian Waula de la BBCA group of UN experts argues that the Rwanda Army is in “De facto control of M23 operations”, which details how M23 recruits are trained under the supervision of Rwanda and supported by Rwanda high -tech weapons.

After the summit, Kagame published on Facebook, accusing Dr Congo of “setting up a security problem against our country.”

The president of Dr. Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, chose to appear at the summit through a video link. Prime Minister Judith Supplwa was there in person.

There was no immediate response from Supplwa or the Congolese delegation to joint communication.

The president of Kenya, William Ruto, the current president of the EAC, emphasized military solutions only could not resolve the crisis.

“We must resist the temptation to think that somehow we can shoot or bombard our path in a solution to such a complex situation,” he said.

The president of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, stressed a “collective responsibility” of the regional leaders to end the conflict, saying that “history will judge us hard if we remain still and observe the situation worsening day by day.”

The ongoing conflict dates back to the 1990s, but has quickly intensified in recent weeks.

The DR Congo is so vast, two thirds of the size of Western Europe, which is a member of the East and South Africa blocks.