Heads of Defence Forces of the East African Community are expected to meet soon as the fighting between government troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and M23 rebels in the east rages on.
In a press statement, Burundi’s presidential spokesperson, Alain Diomede Nzeyimana, said the heads of forces will meet to study the parameters of a concerted and sustainable response to the security crisis in Eastern DRC. This will then be followed by an extraordinary summit of the regional leaders.
He says the decision comes after President Evariste Ndayishimiye who is the current chairman of the summit of heads of states had telephone conversations with all his counterparts in the region.
Renewed fighting in North Kivu – Rusthuru area, and Bunagana has left thousands of Congolese displaced, with scores fleeing to Uganda for asylum.
On Monday, hundreds of people descended on the streets of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s city of Goma denouncing Rwanda’s alleged support of M23 rebels, a claim Rwanda has always denied.