African Union summit opens with focus on DR Congo conflict

The African Union summit has begun in Addis Ababa, focusing on the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The DR Congo president is absent after Rwandan-backed forces captured a second major city. The summit comes amid rising tensions in eastern DR Congo and ongoing violence in Sudan. Leaders from East and Southern Africa recently called for an immediate ceasefire, but fighting resumed shortly after. Outgoing African Union chair Moussa Faki Mahamat emphasized the need for the ceasefire to be respected. He noted a general mobilization among African nations to address the conflict.