FILE PHOTO: Democratic Republic of the Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi tours the Lobito Port Terminal, in Lobito, Angola, December 4, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (Reuters) -Leaders at an unprecedented joint summit of Eastern and Southern African blocs aimed at defusing the crisis in Eastern Congo urged all parties to hold direct talks, including with Rwanda-backed rebels whose advance has fanned fears of a wider war.
In late January, the M23 rebels captured Goma, the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo - the worst escalation of fighting in more than a decade that has left thousands dead. Despite announcing a unilateral ceasefire, they have continued to march south towards the city of Bukavu.
