[DETAILS] Ruto's Phone Call With King Charles III Amidst DRC Conflict

[DETAILS] Ruto’s Phone Call With King Charles III Amidst DRC Conflict

President William Ruto spoke by phone with King Charles III about a variety of subjects, including regional security and Kenya’s role in maintaining regional peace.

The President made the announcement Monday evening, shortly after revealing that a multilateral peace summit had been organized for the weekend to tackle the precarious security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“I have had a telephone conversation with His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom. We discussed Kenya’s long-standing and close ties with the United Kingdom,” Ruto said.

I have had a telephone conversation with His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom. We discussed Kenya’s long-standing and close ties with the United Kingdom.

I am glad that Kenya and the United Kingdom have a shared passion for nature and climate conservation.

We also…
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) February 3, 2025

“I am glad that Kenya and the United Kingdom have a shared passion for nature and climate conservation. We also discussed regional peace and security and Kenya’s role.”

Kenya is a leader in climate change mitigation initiatives and has served as a mediator in regional disputes, the most recent of which occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Last week, the M23 rebels assaulted and secured the eastern section of the country, causing massive displacements.

The already precarious humanitarian situation has deteriorated as parties trade accusations over who is fuelling the crisis in the mineral-rich country, which has been in instability for more than 30 years.

According to a statement from State House, Tanzania will host the joint summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East Africa Community (EAC) on Friday and Saturday in Dar es Salaam.

“This follows an agreement between the chairman of SADC President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe and EAC chairperson President William Ruto of Kenya,” the brief statement reads.

Peace and security are critical ingredients for trade and investment in our region.

I am glad the leadership of the Southern African Development Community and the East Africa Community has agreed to jointly caucus on the conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.…
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) February 3, 2025

Ruto stated that presidents Suluhu Samia of Tanzania, Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia have all confirmed their attendance at the extraordinary summit.

“I’m glad the leadership of the Southern African Development Community and the East Africa Community has agreed to jointly caucus on the conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo,” Ruto said.

“Peace and security are critical ingredients for trade and investment in our region. Through our collective effort, we will ensure security reigns on our continent,” he affirmed.

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Since 1996, conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed about six million people, including more than 15 million children suffering from the impacts of the raging conflict.

The country has undergone decades of many, overlapping crises, the origins of which may be traced back to the Atlantic slave trade and King Leopold II of Belgium’s 75-year reign of terror.

The most recent humanitarian crisis, however, is caused by the country’s abundance of mineral reserves and the armed opposition of Tutsi-led M23 rebels in the country’s east.

The rebels accuse the government of seeking to force them from their ancestral land.

[DETAILS] Ruto’s Phone Call With King Charles III Amidst DRC Conflict