Government media reported that the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Chesikdi will not participate in regional brokerage talks aimed at ending the rebel attack on the main eastern city of Gouma.
Kenyan leader William Roto called TSHISECEDI and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame to a regional summit later on Wednesday, as the bodies were located in the streets of Goma after heavy fighting.
Rwanda accuses the neighboring of the support of the M23 rebel group, which has acquired many of the city, including its airport.
About 280 Roman mercenaries were fighting on the side of Dr. Kongo's army surrendered to M23, The Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) said on X.
A spokeswoman for the Rwandan government, Jewe McCulo, told the BBC that Rwanda will participate in the summit, but she did not say whether Kagami will attend.
The United Nations says there is intense evidence that Rwanda supports M23, but Rwanda denies providing direct military support to the rebels.
Goma was mostly calm on Wednesday, with intermittent shooting in some areas.
The residents who were hiding in safe areas ventured to buy food, which has become increasingly rare after the fighting days.
The official news agency Dr. Congo said that TSHISECEDI will not attend the summit of state heads called by Roto as head of East Africa (EAC). He did not give the reason for his decision.
Since the beginning of the week, the clashes between the M23 rebels and the army and its allies have left hospitals flooded by losses and bodies in the streets, according to the United Nations.
Relief agencies said that warehouses with food and medical supplies were looted.
The basic services have not been available since the attack began, with electricity, water and the Internet.
The increasing anger at the rebel attack led to the demonstrators targeting foreign embassies in the capital, Kinshasa.
At least 10 embassies were damaged and looted by the demonstrators who demanded the intervention of the international community to end the rebel attack, as they tightened their grip on Gouma.
RDF said that the Roman mercenaries are being transferred to the capital of Rwanda, Kigali, after “they surrendered to the M23 after the seizure of the strategic city.”
The news agency reported to AFP that dozens of Romanians – who were named after private military contractors – fled to the Rwandan town of Jizini, directly above the border from Goma.
“We were not in a battlefield, we were here to train and help artillery,” said the person who gave Emile only to Agence France -Presse.
“What I learned is that anything can happen. I have come. I have done my work and now I am happy to go back and be with my family,” he added.
In a clear attempt to expand their regional control in the eastern Congo, the M23 rebels were now advancing towards the city of Bocafo in Lexide, and Reuters news agency quoted five diplomatic and security sources as saying.
