Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Tuesday agreed to the need for ceasefire negotiations and peace talks with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote in a post on X.

“The two heads of state have agreed on the urgent need for a ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks by all parties to the conflict,” Mr Ramaphosa posted.

Following days of intense fighting in eastern Congo, the M23 rebel militia entered the strategically important provincial capital of Goma earlier on Monday.

Goma, located in one of Congo’s richest resource areas and bordering Rwanda, is a city of millions that has since been fiercely contested, according to the United Nations.

By Tuesday morning, it remained unclear who controlled Goma.

Late on Monday evening, the Congolese army claimed to have recaptured parts of the city.

Both the government in Kinshasa and UN experts accuse Rwanda of supporting M23 and having its own troops in eastern Congo.

Kenyan President William Ruto, currently the chair of the East African Community, plans to hold a special summit on the situation in eastern Congo without delay.

Both Rwanda and Congo are members of the EAC. A specific date for the meeting has not yet been announced.

Mr Ruto has also sought support from France and the United States to address the hostilities.

President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly expressed support for regional efforts to end the conflict in eastern Congo, according to a statement from the Kenyan government. 

(dpa/NAN)