The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs has asked Kenyans in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to take extreme caution of their security situation.
Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign and Diaspora Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi said Kenyans, where necessary, should consider possible evacuation, especially from the volatile regions.
“The Kenyan government is considering the evacuation of Kenyans who can reach out to our consulate in Goma and our temporary offices in Congo Brazzaville,” he said.
In a statement, Mudavadi said Kenya is worried about the
escalation of conflict in the DRC.
Mudavadi noted that the conflict between the security forces and militant groups led by M23 that began in the eastern part of DRC, on the Rwandan border, has escalated rapidly.
He said fighting seems to have spread to other parts of the country.
“We continue to urge the parties in the conflict to consider an immediate ceasefire, as adopted by the Heads of State and at the Joint East African Cooperation (EAC), and Southern African Development Community (SADC) High Level meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania,” Mudavadi urged.
Despite the ceasefire agreement that took effect on August 4, 2024, fighting between the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) and the M23 has escalated following the collapse of the summit-level Luanda process meant to take place on December 15, 2024.
M23 has significantly expanded its territorial control in
North Kivu since December. By the end of January, M23 had captured Goma, the
provincial capital.
President William Ruto has met with a high-level delegation from DRC to discuss the escalating situation in Eastern DRC.
In a statement posted on his X account on February 19, 2025, Ruto announced the meeting in his role as chair of EAC.
“As Chair of the East African Community (EAC), I received a high-level delegation from President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo to discuss the escalating situation in Eastern DRC,” Ruto stated.
The discussions focused on implementing resolutions agreed
upon during recent regional summits, particularly the Joint Summit of the EAC
and SADC held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on February 8, 2025.
