UNITED Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres is expected to attend an African Union peace and security summit, where discussions will focus on restoring peace and stability in the Great Lakes region.

Addressing the media in Beirut yesterday ahead of crucial summits of the East African Community (EAC), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) today, followed by convening the AU organ on the matter, the UN chief called for immediate cessation of hostilities.

Having stressed that there is no military solution to the ongoing conflict, he is expected to call on African leaders to intensify efforts toward diplomacy and conflict resolution to prevent further loss of life and displacement.

The ongoing crisis has drawn widespread international concern, and the UN chief's call serves as a reminder of the persistent need for a unified and coordinated approach to address the root causes of the conflict.

This must be done to bring an end to the suffering of the people in the DRC, he emphasised, in a special appeal for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

He warned of the worsening humanitarian crisis in Goma, where more than one thousands have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced amid escalating violence.

Despite a unilateral ceasefire declaration by Rwanda-backed rebels, the Congolese government has dismissed it as “false communication,” citing continued fighting in adjacent zones. 

The UN chief executive strongly condemned widespread human rights violations, including sexual violence, forced recruitment of children, alongside deliberate attacks on humanitarian workers and their missions.

The situation in eastern DRC remains deeply precarious, with the violence, compounded by years of instability, threatening to undermine efforts towards peace and security in the region, he stated. There is urgent need for regional cooperation and diplomatic intervention to end the suffering of the Congolese people, he added.