While the Presidents of Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania attended in person and Burundi and Kenya were represented by high-level delegates, Congolese president Félix Tshisekedi boycotted an extraordinary East African Community (EAC) Heads of State Summit held virtually on Friday, June 7. The Heads of State Summit that, among others, ushered in the regional bloc’s new Secretary General, Veronica Mueni Nduva, was held and virtually and chaired by South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit, the Chairperson of the Summit. Kinshasa never had any representative at the meeting. President Kagame participated in the 23rd Extra-ordinary meeting of the Summit of the EAC Heads of State, chaired by President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan. The Summit appointed the new EAC Secretary General, Veronica Mueni Nduva. pic.twitter.com/svsRzz2j9l — Presidency | Rwanda (@UrugwiroVillage) June 7, 2024 An EAC communique published soon after the meeting indicated that Burundi had Vice President Prosper Bazombanza who represented President Evariste Ndayishimiye, while Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and CS for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi, represented President William Ruto. There are reports that the Congolese president boycotted the meeting because he is unhappy with President Ruto's statements on the security crisis in eastern DR Congo where Tshisekedi’s government is especially battling the M23 rebels and paying little or no attention to more than 170 militia groups that are wreaking havoc in the restless region. It is believed that the Congolese leader is therefore making his displeasure known to Nairobi, and the other EAC member countries. ALSO READ: M23 is a Congolese problem, needs a Congolese solution Speaking in an interview with Jeune Afrique on May 21, where he answered questions about the conflict in eastern DR Congo between the M23 and government forces, Ruto said: “As Heads of State, in a meeting, we asked; M23, the people in there, are they Rwandese or they are Congolese? And DRC said, these are Congolese. End of question! “So, if these are Congolese, how does it become a Rwanda problem? How does it become a Kagame problem?” The ever worsening security situation in eastern DR Congo, particularly the increase in hostilities between a government-led coalition and the M23 rebels, has raised fears that the Great Lakes Region could be sunk into a wider conflict. An EAC regional force (EACRF) was deployed to eastern DR Congo, in November 2022, with a mandate of supporting a peace process that would see the M23 withdraw. ALSO READ: Tshisekedi threatens to kick out EAC force The regional force comprising troops from Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and South Sudan, managed to peacefully secure swathes of territory previously captured by the M23 rebels after their gradual withdrawal. In early 2023, the regional mission’s effort led to a ceasefire from March to September 2023. However, Tshisekedi wanted it to battle the M23 rebels, or if not, leave. In April, the former EACRF force commander, Maj Gen Jeff Nyagah, a Kenyan, resigned citing a threat to his personal security and “a systematic plan to frustrate” the regional force. ALSO READ: Ruto defends EAC mission in DR Congo, says insecurity is a regional concern In December last year, the Congolese government expelled EACRF and replaced it with a SADC mission which is operating under an offensive mandate. In March, President Paul Kagame spoke out on the exit of the East African Community Regional Force and the deployment of the SADC mission (SADMIR) in eastern DR Congo, saying he was surprised by the development and “how the countries involved can be involved on such a glaringly wrong side.” Pointing at the fact that EACRF’s mission was to create a ceasefire, monitor it and allow political processes to take place to resolve the outstanding issues, Kagame noted that the regional force’s expulsion, without explanation, makes the EAC’s existence questionable. “Why can’t even people have a discussion about it? Why can’t the EAC and SADC talk about whatever problem there is and find a way of resolving it?” he said. ALSO READ: Kagame on EACRF exit, SADC deployment The problems in eastern DR Congo, Kagame said, have a very long history. “People just scratch the surface and never go deep to understand why we are having this thing we are seeing in front of us,” he said.
