The government on Tuesday issued a statement after the Kenyan Embassy in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, was attacked amid hostility in the Central African nation.
In the statement by Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei, the government called for swift action to resolve the ongoing unrest in Kinshasa.
The PS also confirmed that Uganda and the South African embassies had also been attacked by protestors.
“We are deeply concerned by the ongoing siege and attacks on Embassy Premises and personnel in Kinshasa, DRC, including the Kenyan, Uganda, and South African Embassies, by marauding protesters who are voicing their discontent on the conflict in the Eastern Part of that country,” PS Sing’Oei said in the statement.
Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’oei during a meeting with a US team on July 23, 2024.
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Korir Sing’oei
For a better part of Sunday and Monday, Goma, which is the largest city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), was subjected to heavy gunfire as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels took on central authorities in the region.
According to the UN, the escalating conflict between the rebel groups and the government has led to the displacement of more than 400,000 people, further fuelling a fresh spate of protests.
The devastating conflict has since spewed to the Rwandan border, affecting civilian activities including schooling and businesses in Rubavu, which borders DRC.
A ripple effect of the conflict has been protests in Kinshasa, with citizens voicing their anger about the volatile state of the country, with the Kenyan Embassy in the capital being one of the casualties.
While maintaining that Kenya maintained good diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Congo, the PS urged Kenyan citizens in the war-ravaged region to exercise caution.
The statement went on, “This development is a serious breach of international law and we condemn it in the strongest terms possible. We call on authorities in DRC to take appropriate action.
Meanwhile, President William Ruto, who is the East African Community (EAC) chair, has called for an urgent and direct engagement between the Congolese government and M23 rebels.
“Engagement, dialogue, and consultations are the only viable way out of the situation in DRC,” Ruto said as he dismissed the possibility of a military solution.
Ruto also called for an emergency summit, which Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi agreed to attend.
An image of the Kenyan Embassy in the DRC
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KENYAinDRC