President Félix Tshisekedi did not attend the recent EAC summit hosted by President William Ruto to discuss the worsening security crisis in eastern DRC.

Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has vowed “a vigorous and coordinated response” against a rebel alliance that has besieged swaths of the nation’s mineral-rich east and forced hundreds of local troops and foreign mercenaries to surrender.

General Rudzani Maphwanya of the SANDF reveals that the M23 militia in the DRC has sustained significant casualties during a fierce battle with South African, Malawian, and Tanzanian forces, resulting in the deaths of 13 South African soldiers and three Malawian soldiers.

A week after the first of 13 South African soldiers were killed by M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), President and Commander-in-Chief Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a statement on the situation,

This introduction lays a foundation for the discussion of the East African Community and the battle for the soul of the DR Congo. However, it may be necessary to note that the Congolese hold very strong views that some countries in the East African Community are responsible for the armed rebellion in the eastern part of their country.

South Africa often uses its diplomatic heft to position itself as defender of the "global south" on the world stage, but the deaths of 13 of its soldiers in eastern Congo fighting have exposed an inability to project hard power in its own backyard.

Parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are under siege by a Rwanda-backed rebel group. The violence has killed UN peacekeepers, overwhelmed hospitals, displaced hundreds of thousands and sparked fears of a wider regional conflict.

The conflict comes amid rising global tensions after Donald Trump’s election, especially between Washington and Beijing, over control of strategic minerals like those present in the Congo.

New governor appointed after former governor Maj. Gen. Peter Cirimwami was killed in fighting against M23 rebels - Anadolu Ajansı

A conflict that has raged for decades reached a flashpoint this week when rebels backed by Rwanda marched on a key Congolese city in a bid to occupy territory and exploit minerals.

Already the Ruto-led talks started on a wrong footing on Wednesday, January 29 after Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi snubbed a meeting to discuss the security crisis in his Eastern DRC but confirmed attendance of a separate meeting convened by southern African countries.