By Yassin Kombi and Sonia Rolley GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Rwanda's President Paul Kagame said he agreed with the U.S. government on the need for a ceasefire in eastern Congo but gave no indication of bowing to calls for Rwandan troops and the M23 rebels they support to withdraw from Goma.

During his address to the East African Community Heads of State extraordinary meeting, Mr Kagame said Mr Ramaphosa was pretending to be a peacekeeper in DRC

The scene is the result of the invasion of Goma on January 27th by M23, an armed group under the control of Rwanda, Congo’s neighbour, which abuts the city. Paul Kagame, Rwanda’s president, has escalated a crisis whose origins go back decades.

President Félix Tshisekedi has sent a strong message to Rwandan President Paul Kagame after skipping President William Ruto’s East African Community (EAC) virtual crisis meeting. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi addressed Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame,

DRC has been embroiled in a conflict, with the resurgence of the M23 rebel group bringing renewed attention to Rwandan President Paul Kagame and the M23 movement.

The president of crisis-hit Democratic Republic of Congo was set to meet his Rwandan counterpart at an emergency summit on Wednesday, as fighters backed by Kigali appeared on the brink of seizing the key city of Goma.

They may be on opposite sides of the Congolese battlefield only by proxy, but Pretoria and Kigali are now trading undiplomatic warnings. The war in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is also stirring up old disputes between the two countries.

President Paul Kagame and his Angolan counterpart João Lourenço discussed the crisis in eastern DR Congo, where M23 rebels took control of the strategic city of Goma on Monday, January 27. The two leaders discussed “the need for a long-term and sustainable solution to the ongoing situation” in DR Congo,

Tensions have escalated between Rwandan President Paul Kagame and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, with Kagame accusing Ramaphosa of spreading lies.

The Rwanda-backed armed group M23 vowed Thursday to "continue the march of liberation" to the DR Congo capital Kinshasa, as its fighters made further advances in the mineral-rich east of the country.

Rwandan-backed rebels declare they are now in control of the key eastern Congolese city of Goma, as their troops continue to claim more territory in the mineral rich region.