The escalating violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo is expected to dominate discussions as African leaders convene for the African Union summit in Addis Ababa this weekend.
According to the AFP, the summit, which comes at a critical time for the continent, will also address ongoing conflicts in Sudan and the impact of recent U.S. aid cuts under former President Donald Trump.
Despite growing international alarm over the worsening situation in eastern DRC, AU efforts to mediate have been criticized as weak.
The conflict has intensified, with Rwandan-backed M23 rebels seizing a second major city after capturing the strategic provincial capital of Goma last month. On Friday, the group advanced further south, taking control of Bukavu, according to security and humanitarian sources.
Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi has chosen to stay away from the summit to focus on developments back home. A government official confirmed his absence, stating, “He must closely follow the situation on the ground in DRC.”
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, Tshisekedi called on the international community to “blacklist” Rwanda, accusing President Paul Kagame’s government of harboring “expansionist ambitions.”
The AU’s Peace and Security Council met late into Friday night to discuss the crisis. Outgoing AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat insisted on the need for an immediate truce.
“The ceasefire must be observed,” he told AFP, adding that there was a “general mobilization” among African states to stop the fighting.
However, analysts remain skeptical about the AU’s ability to influence the situation. Thierry Vircoulon of the French International Relations Institute remarked, “The AU has no power in this conflict and is playing the spectator.” Richard Moncrieff, the Great Lakes project director at the International Crisis Group, echoed this sentiment, noting that Kagame appears determined to press forward. “Some African leaders have trouble defending Congo because they don’t defend themselves,” he said.
Meanwhile, Angola’s President João Lourenço, who has long attempted to mediate between DRC and Rwanda, will take over the AU’s rotating presidency.
The summit will also see the election of a new AU Commission Chairperson to replace Faki Mahamat, who has reached his two-term limit. Candidates for the top job include Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, and Madagascar’s former foreign minister Richard Randriamandrato.
The post is reserved for an East African candidate this time, with the winner requiring the backing of two-thirds of AU member states.
The conflict in Sudan, where civil war continues to devastate the country, will also feature prominently in discussions. On the sidelines of the summit, the United Arab Emirates announced an additional $200 million in humanitarian aid for Sudan.
Despite the urgent security issues dominating the agenda, the summit’s official theme—securing reparations from Western nations for historical injustices such as slavery—remains a key topic for debate.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is scheduled to address AU leaders on Saturday, as the bloc faces mounting pressure to take a stronger stance on Africa’s security crises.
