President William Ruto jetted out to Bujumbura City in Burundi on Saturday, February 4, for an extraordinary summit on the worsening security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The East African Community (EAC) Heads of State met in Burundian City in a bid to find a long-lasting solution to the ongoing skirmishes in the neighbouring country.
Among the leaders who attended the meeting include Presidents Samia Suluhu (Tanzania), Félix Tshisekedi (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Salva Kiir (South Sudan), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Yoweri Museveni (Uganda) and host Évariste Ndayishimiye (the President of Burundi).
"The summit will be evaluating the security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo," Ruto's communication clarified.
Ruto who addressed Journalists immediately after landing in Bujumbura explained that the Congolese have a rare opportunity to take the destiny of their country into their own hands.
"The moment is long overdue for the international community to most vigilantly audit industrial supply chains and make sure that global production and consumption honour Congolese resource sovereignty and do not profit out of the conflict and human suffering the country has been experiencing," Ruto warned.
The Head of State noted that time is running out for East Africans to bring the Democratic Republic of the Congo back to the line of peace.
He also warned foreign elements that are causing divisions and fights among citizens in DRC, noting that such persons must be defeated.
"History has amply documented the direct relationship between slavery and colonialism in Africa and the industrial revolution in the West.
"It is time for the world to recognise the obvious: the resources of the DRC belong to the people of the DRC, and that global demand for these resources must enhance their well-being and not inflict misery on them," Ruto explained.
Ruto appreciated the concerted efforts that have been mounted by EAC nations that also volunteered peacekeeping troops to DR Congo.
In November 2022, President William Ruto flagged off thousands of troops to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in an arrangement that is seeking to restore peace in the country.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is also serving as the East Africa facilitator for the Nairobi Peace Process, on Tuesday, January 31, met the EAC technical advisors to establish facts about the deteriorating security situation in DR Congo.
Uhuru also briefed EAC leaders that the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo had gotten worse following renewed fights between rebel groups and the country's military.
The most affected town in the eastern DR Congo are Ituri and North Kivu which have witnessed serious fighting from rebel groups.
Reports indicate that a number of civilians have been killed and DRC soldiers injured as the fighting continued to escalate.
