President William Ruto on Friday, February 21, 2025, had a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the ongoing crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
In the talks, the two conversed on the conflict where they reaffirmed their commitment to push for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.
They also mutually called for an immediate ceasefire emphasizing that there was no military solution to the conflict.
The call comes as part of Ruto’s sustained d efforts to quell the conflict in Congo.
He recently called on all parties involved in the conflict to cease hostilities and embrace dialogue.
The head of state who is the chairman of the the East African (EAC), also urged the EAC and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to stand in solidarity in calling for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Kenyan President William Ruto to discuss the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the unacceptable capture of Goma and Bukavu by the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group.”
“They emphasized that there is no military solution to the conflict and called for an immediate ceasefire. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to push for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis,” said part of a statement from the US State Department.
Ruto is currently, the chair of the East African Community (EAC) and has in recent weeks called emergency meetings with his counterparts to discuss the recent capture of Goma by the armed groups.
Notably, he also co-chaired a meeting with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) – which currently has troops in DRC.
The resolution of the conflict is seen as a big diplomatic test for Ruto and Kenya given the various accusations and counter-accusations made by President Felix Tshisekedi of DRC and Paul Kagame of Rwanda.
This came as regional military chiefs met to plan how to handle the crisis.
Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of President Yoweri Museveni and the head of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), joined senior military leaders from across East and Central Africa convened in Nairobi on Friday February 21 to deliberate on escalating tensions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The high-level meeting, hosted by Kenya’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Charles Kahariri, brought together defence chiefs from the East African Community (EAC) and member states and representatives from regional peacekeeping coalitions.
The primary focus was to strategize on containing the intensifying violence in eastern DRC, where multiple armed groups have continued to challenge government forces despite ongoing international mediation efforts.
The meeting was organized following a directive from the joint EAC-Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State Summit earlier this month in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
“Prior to today’s meeting, the EAC Defence Experts Working Group held two days of discussions, laying the groundwork for today’s meeting.
“In her opening remarks, EAC Secretary General Veronica Nduva emphasized that the Nairobi Process is the key mechanism for supporting the DRC government and its citizens. While acknowledging the challenges therein, she expressed optimism that lasting peace, security, and stability could be achieved through ongoing efforts to address the root causes of the conflict,” the Ministry of Defence said on its official website.
The Chairman of the meeting, Gen Charles Kahariri, Kenya’s Chief of the Defence Forces, stressed the urgency of addressing the escalating violence and humanitarian crisis in DRC.
He called for collective strategies and decisive actions to tackle the situation.
“Our collective resolve and collaborative spirit during these deliberations reflect the strength and unity of the East African Community in pursuing regional peace and stability. I commend you all for your thorough analysis and actionable recommendations, which have significantly influenced our strategic decisions,” Gen Kahariri said.
The meeting was guided by six key directives including Immediate and unconditional ceasefire and cessation of hostilities, Provision of humanitarian assistance, Opening of main supply routes; Development of a securitization plan for Goma and surrounding areas, Immediate reopening of Goma Airport and Advice on other facilitative interventions.
The meeting concluded with the signing of a final report, including recommendations to be forwarded to the EAC Council of Ministers for further action.
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