In a post on X, Joe Wilson, who has represented South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2001, urged the Congolese leader to use the upcoming joint summit of heads of state from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as a platform for cooperation rather than escalating tensions with Rwanda.
He emphasized that the crisis in "Goma is in the hands of Tshisekedi."
"Félix Tshisekedi must get serious about the peace process in the Eastern DRC now. The EAC summit in Dar es Salaam is an opportunity for the DRC to work together with Paul Kagame for peace, not point fingers and deepen tensions," he wrote.
.@FelixUdps must get serious about the peace process in the Eastern DRC now. The @jumuiya summit in Dar es Salaam is an opportunity for DRC to work together with @PaulKagame for peace, not point fingers and deepen tensions. The crisis in Goma is in the hands of Tshisekedi.
â€" Joe Wilson (@RepJoeWilson) February 4, 2025
Tshisekedi skipped an extraordinary summit convened by the EAC on January 29 to address the deteriorating security situation in eastern DRC. His absence raised concerns about Kinshasa's willingness to embrace dialogue, even as pressure mounts for a political resolution to the conflict.
He has previously resisted direct negotiations with M23, labeling them a terrorist group. His government has also failed to honour previous agreements with the rebels, who claim to be fighting against the marginalization and persecution of Congolese Rwandophones. Instead, Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of aiding the group's activitiesâ€"allegations Rwanda has denied.
The EAC summit, chaired by Kenya's President William Ruto and attended by President Paul Kagame and other regional leaders, urged Tshisekedi's administration to engage directly with M23 rebels and other armed groups in a bid to resolve the escalating crisis in the country's east.
SADC, which is contributing troops to the region, held a separate meeting last Friday and made a similar appeal to the Congolese government.
On Monday, President Ruto said both President Kagame and President Tshisekedi had confirmed their participation in the upcoming summit, which aims to "coordinate responses" to the crisis.
'Through our collective effort, we will ensure security reigns on our continent,' he said.
The meeting will be preceded by a ministerial session on Friday, before the Heads of State convene on Saturday.
'President Samia Suluhu Hassan has graciously agreed to host the summit to deliberate on the situation in Eastern DRC,' Kenya's State House said in a statement.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
