U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres urged dialogue between warring parties in eastern Congo on Saturday, hours after Rwanda-backed M23 rebels entered the northern suburbs of Bukavu.
“There is no military solution.
The deadlock must end – the dialogue must begin,” Guterres told an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, warning of the risk of a broader regional conflict.
The rebels have been advancing south toward Bukavu, the second-largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, after seizing Goma late last month.
Despite regional leaders urging direct talks, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi has refused to negotiate with M23 and skipped the AU summit, sending his prime minister instead.
The AU Peace and Security Council held a closed-door meeting Friday night to address the crisis.
Rwanda has denied backing M23, with President Paul Kagame insisting, “Rwanda has nothing to do with Congo’s problems,” in a Facebook post following the meeting.
The United States has warned of potential sanctions against officials from both Rwanda and the DRC.
Meanwhile, the European Parliament has called for freezing EU budget support to Rwanda, and on Saturday, the EU signaled it may take further action.
“Alarmed by news of Rwandan-backed M23 forces seizing Kavumu airport and entering Bukavu, ignoring international ceasefire appeals,” EU foreign policy spokesperson Anouar El Anouni posted on X. “The ongoing violation of the DRC’s territorial integrity will not go unanswered.”
Corneille Nangaa, leader of a rebel alliance that includes M23, confirmed the rebels had entered Bukavu and would continue operations there. However, while two residents in Bagira reported seeing rebels, an M23 source, two Congolese officers, and multiple Bukavu residents said the rebels had yet to reach the city center.
Reuters/Patience Ameh
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