U.N. chief warns against regional war over DR Congo at Africa summit

U.N. chief demands respect for DRC's territorial integrity to avoid regional war at African Union summit.

U.N. chief Antonio Guterres on Saturday (February 15, 2025) demanded that the Democratic Republic of Congo’s “territorial integrity” be respected and a regional war avoided, at an African summit the day after Rwandan-backed fighters seized a second DRC provincial capital.

With international pressure mounting on Rwanda to curb the fighting in eastern DR Congo (DRC), the conflict was set to dominate the African Union summit as it opened in Addis Ababa.

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame was seen attending meetings at the gathering, but DR Congo’s president Felix Tshisekedi was absent from the summit as the M23 advanced through his country’s territory.

Having routed the Congolese army to capture the key provincial capital of Goma in North Kivu last month, the Rwandan-backed armed group pushed into neighbouring South Kivu.

It took a vital airport there before marching virtually unchecked into another key city, Bukavu, on Friday (February 14, 2025), security and humanitarian sources said.

“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,” Guterres told leaders in an address to the summit, without mentioning Rwanda.

“Regional escalation must be avoided at all costs. There is no military solution,” he added.