Kenya's President William Ruto, who also serves as the EAC Chairperson, confirmed the summit on Monday during a high-level retreat on African Union (AU) institutional reforms.
'We have agreed under the framework of the East African Community to convene an urgent extraordinary meeting and summit on the situation in Eastern DRC on Wednesday,' said President Ruto, who also serves as the EAC Chairperson.
'The situation in Eastern DRC now demands our collective focus. And as the chair of the East African Community, I will be convening this meeting.'
The crisis in Eastern DRC has persisted for decades, marked by conflicts involving armed groups, regional interventions, and humanitarian challenges, including the deaths and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
In an escalation of the conflict, M23 rebels have in recent weeks captured key towns in the eastern region in renewed fights with the Congolese army and a coalition of armed groups including FDLR, a genocidal force linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Goma, the capital and largest city of the North Kivu Province, fell under the control of M23 fighters on Monday, prompting concerns from various quarters on the security situation in the eastern Congo.
In his address to the media, President Ruto termed the situation in the volatile regions "very complicated".
"This is a situation that has festered for 30, 40 years. We've had a UN peacekeeping mission there for the last 20 years. We've had forces from the East African Community in and out. We've had forces from SADC in and maybe out," he stated.
M23 asserts that its fight is centred on defending the Tutsi minority in eastern DRC, who have faced decades of marginalization and persecution. Peace processes proposed to mediate the dispute in Luanda, Angola, and Nairobi, Kenya, have previously faced challenges, as the Congolese government opposes the inclusion of the group in the talks.
President Ruto emphasized that a military solution is not viable, advocating instead for dialogue and engagement with all stakeholders to find the root cause of the problem.
'Engagement, dialogue, consultations is the only viable way out of the situation in DRC,' he said. 'A direct engagement with M23 and all the other stakeholders in the theatre in Eastern DRC is a necessity.'
He confirmed that the summit will bring together regional leaders, including DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, both of whom have confirmed their attendance. The two leaders differ sharply on the root causes of the crisis that has led to tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
The Kenyan Head of State stressed that the ongoing crisis in Eastern DRC and several other parts of the continent has significant implications for regional stability and development.
'Without and unless we deal with the conflicts in our continent, it will become almost impossible to undertake any meaningful investment or development or economic activity in our continent,' President Ruto stated during the retreat.
He emphasized the need for Africa to rethink its approach to peace and security, noting, 'Our response has been uncoordinated, under-resourced, and not very well planned.'
The retreat proposed the establishment of a high-level panel to strengthen the continent's conflict response and financing mechanisms.
As the region prepares for Wednesday's summit, hopes are high that the engagement will pave the way for meaningful dialogue and actionable strategies to resolve the long-standing crisis in Eastern DRC.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
