United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the ongoing conflict in South Kivu of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) could escalate to a regional security crisis.
His caution during the African Union (AU) summit on Saturday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, Guterres said the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are suffering from a brutal cycle of violence.
“The fighting that is raging in South Kivu – as a result of the continuation of the M23 offensive — threatens to push the entire region over the precipice,” said the Secretary-General, emphasizing the need for avoiding regional escalation at all costs.
The conflict in eastern DR Congo dates back to the 1990s but has rapidly escalated in recent weeks.
M23, which is made up of ethnic Tutsis, say they are fighting for minority rights, while DR Congo’s government says the Rwanda-backed rebels are seeking control of the eastern region’s vast mineral wealth.
“There is no military solution. The deadlock must end – the dialogue must begin,” Guterres said, highlighting that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC must be respected.
With international pressure mounting on Rwanda to curb the fighting in eastern DR Congo (DRC), the conflict was set to dominate the African Union (AU) summit, which opened in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Saturday morning.
MG/as/APA