Kenyan President William Ruto has emphasized diplomacy as the only viable solution to the escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Speaking on Monday, Ruto described the situation in eastern DRC as “very complicated” and dismissed military intervention as ineffective. His comments followed claims by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels of capturing Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC, after a quick advance that the Congolese forces and their allies could not contain. The conflict has drawn international concern and the UN Security Council has called on the rebels to withdraw. Kinshasa has labeled the rebel advance as a “declaration of war” by Rwanda, severing ties with its East African neighbor. Meanwhile, Kigali, which denies supporting the insurgents despite UN evidence, blames the DRC for the escalation in the conflict. Ruto, as East African Community chair, has called an emergency meeting to address the crisis.
Source: africanews