President William Ruto has called for the immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In a statement on Monday, Ruto condemned the escalating insecurity situation in the region noting that it is of grave concern.
Ruto noted that the humanitarian crisis is being exacerbated by ongoing military actions, including the closure of airspace in Goma.
“I call for the immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities, emphasise the obligation of all parties to facilitate humanitarian access to affected populations and urge both sides to pursue peaceful means to resolve this tragic conflict,” he said.
The President, who is the chairperson of the East African Commission (EAC), also called on the parties to the Luanda process and Presidents Félix Tshisekedi (Congo) and Paul Kagame (Rwanda) to heed the call for peace from the people of the region and the international community.
“I call on them to dedicate all efforts towards achieving peace in Eastern DRC and restoring good neighbourliness and essential principles underpinning regional peace and collective responsibility,” he added.
He stated that after consulting the Heads of State of EAC member states, they will convene an Extraordinary Summit in the next 48 hours to chart the way forward.
This, the President said, is in line with the EAC Summit’s decision of November 2024, which called for constructive engagement to address the conflict.
“The EAC stands ready to forge stronger collaboration with the African Union, Southern African Development Community and the international community in encouraging the warring parties to give priority to dialogue,” he added.
Over the weekend, the rebels of the M23 movement took control of the city of Goma.
The United Nations said key roads surrounding the city were blocked and the city's airport could no longer be used for evacuation and humanitarian efforts.
The M23 group has taken control of vast parts of mineral-rich eastern DR Congo since 2021.
In the past few weeks, the group has been advancing swiftly on Goma amid intense fighting.
Since the start of 2025, more than 400,000 people have been displaced in North and South Kivu, provinces near the border with Rwanda, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
