UN chief warns against regional war over DR Congo at Africa summit

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - UN chief Antonio Guterres on Saturday 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 gathering 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, 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," he added.

"The dialogue must begin. And the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC must be respected."

DRC ceasefire call

With the spectre of a regional conflagration rising in eastern DRC, the AU has been criticised for its timid approach and observers have demanded more decisive action.

The European Union on Saturday said that it was "urgently" considering all options following the news from Bukavu.

"The ongoing violation of the DRC's territorial integrity will not go unanswered," it warned.

East and southern African leaders on February 8 called for an "immediate and unconditional" ceasefire within five days, but fresh fighting erupted on Tuesday.

Outgoing AU commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat told AFP on Friday that "the ceasefire must be observed", adding that there was a "general mobilisation" among African nations to stop the clashes.

Summit host Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia's prime minister, insisted on Saturday that "conflict resolution, diplomacy and peace building must remain at the heart of our efforts."

A meeting of the AU's Peace and Security Council dedicated to the conflict ran late into the evening on Friday, with neither Kagame nor Tshisekedi attending.

A government source told AFP that Tshisekedi would not attend the summit over the weekend either, saying: "He must closely follow the situation on the ground in DRC."

AFP journalists in Bukavu reported sporadic gunfire there on Saturday. Streets were deserted as residents sheltered in their homes and some overnight looting was reported.

Tshisekedi, speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, urged nations to "blacklist" Rwanda, condemning Kigali's "expansionist ambitions".

Rwanda has not admitted backing M23 but has accused extremist Hutu groups in DR Congo of threatening its security.

DR Congo accuses Rwanda of plundering valuable minerals in its eastern provinces.

Neighbouring Burundi has also sent thousands of troops to support DR Congo's struggling army.

Africa's challenges

The 55-nation AU is meeting as Africa faces another devastating conflict in Sudan -- plus US President Donald Trump's cuts to US development aid, which have hit the continent hard.

Leaders opened the summit by calling for progress on securing reparations for historic abuses by colonial powers -- a growing issue in international talks.

The AU leaders represent around 1.5 billion people in a body that observers have long branded as ineffective, most recently over the DRC violence.

"Kagame has clearly calculated that his best approach is to push forward, and he does have some support," International Crisis Group's Great Lakes project director Richard Moncrieff told AFP.

"Some African leaders have trouble defending Congo because they don't defend themselves."

Angolan President Joao Lourenco, who has been heavily involved for several years in futile mediation between Tshisekedi and Kagame, took over the rotating presidency of the AU at the weekend -- a ceremonial role that changes hands annually.

There will also be a new chairman of the body's executive commission -- the AU's top job -- which will be chosen by vote on Sunday.

Three candidates are vying to replace Chad's Moussa Faki Mahamat, who has reached the two-term limit.

They are Djibouti's Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Kenyan opposition veteran Raila Odinga and Madagascar's ex-foreign minister Richard Randriamandrato.