By Our Correspondent, KINSHASA
DR Congo
Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi has vowed to restore government authority in the east, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized control of the city of Goma and are reportedly advancing south to take more territory.
In a televised address to the
nation, he said a "vigorous and coordinated response" against what he
called "terrorists" was under way.
He criticised the
international community for "inaction" and for not doing enough in
the wake of the escalating security crisis.
The weeks-long offensive by
the rebels has promoted warnings of a looming humanitarian crisis and growing
international pressure to end the fighting.
During Wednesday night's
address, Tshisekedi rallied all Congolese to join together and support the
army's fight to retake control.
"Be
sure of one thing: the Democratic Republic of Congo will not let itself be
humiliated or crushed. We will fight and we will triumph," he
said.
The fighting has forced about
500,000 people from their homes, worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis,
according to the UN.
Since the fighting began, the
city has been cut off from electricity and water and food is in scarce supply.
An East African regional bloc virtual summit on Wednesday evening convened by Kenya's President William Ruto, which Tshisekedi snubbed, called for a "peaceful settlement of the conflicts".
It was attended by Rwanda's
Paul Kagame, alongside the leaders of other member countries Burundi, South
Sudan, Tanzania and Somalia.
The heads of state
"strongly urged the government of the DR Congo to directly engage with all
stakeholders, including the M23 and other armed groups that have
grievances".
Tshisekedi has been refusing
to talk directly to the M23 - insisting on only talking to Rwanda.
The East African leaders also
called for a joint summit of the bloc and leaders of the southern African
regional community (Sadc) to "deliberate on the way forward". DR
Congo is a member of both the East African Community and Sadc.
Tshisekedi paid tribute to the
Sadc soldiers "fighting alongside us" and UN forces who had died in
the wake of the rebel assault on Goma.
Thirteen South African
peacekeepers have been killed in the deadly conflict in Goma, leading to
heightened tensions between South Africa and Rwanda.
On Wednesday night, Kagame
said Rwanda was ready for a confrontation with South Africa if necessary,
following a claim by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa that M23 fighters
and Rwandan forces were responsible for the deaths.
In a strongly worded statement
directly responding to Ramaphosa on X, Kagame accused him of distorting their
private conversations about the volatile situation.
"If South Africa wants to
contribute to peaceful solutions, that is well and good, but South Africa is in
no position to take on the role of a peacemaker or mediator. And if South
Africa prefers confrontation, Rwanda will deal with the matter in that context
any day," he said.
The exchange marks a
significant escalation in tensions between the two nations, whose relationship
has been fragile for several years.
On Wednesday, Angola called
for the Congolese and Rwandan leaders to meet urgently in Luanda.
The country, which mediated a
failed attempt at talks in December before the M23 launched its latest
offensive, also called for the resumption of East African Community-led
discussions relating to the unrest in eastern DR Congo.
It came as Tshisekedi visited
Luanda for discussions on the next steps in the Angola-led talks.
Both the EAC-led and the Luanda peace efforts have in the past failed to resolve the crisis.
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