President Tshisekedi will not attend the EAC Heads of State Summit

By The Inspirer.

The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, will not attend the special summit of the East African Community (EAC) Heads of State scheduled for January 28, 2025.

This will be the third consecutive time President Tshisekedi will miss this summit with other EAC leaders, primarily due to the ongoing insecurity in the DRC.

The summit was organized by the EAC’s Executive Secretary and President of Kenya, Dr. William Samoei Ruto, following phone discussions with Presidents Paul Kagame and Tshisekedi regarding the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC.

On January 26, 2025, President Ruto stated, “After speaking with the heads of EAC member states, in 48 hours we will meet at a special summit to discuss the next steps.”

Tina Salama, spokesperson for President Tshisekedi, told Jeune Afrique that the President would not attend the summit due to security concerns in eastern DRC.

Salama explained, “It is clear that due to the current situation, the President will not attend this summit.”

She further explained that President Tshisekedi supports the Nairobi talks, which bring together Congolese citizens, as well as the Luanda talks, which aim to bring together DRC and Rwanda.

Since the early hours of January 27, 2025, fighters from the M23 armed group have been in control of the city of Goma, which is considered the capital of North Kivu province.

The M23 group took control of the city while the DRC government continues to reject the idea of direct talks with them, in an effort to seek lasting peace for eastern DRC.