Defense chiefs of East African Community, Southern African Development Community asked to meet within 5 days to provide technical direction to implement ceasefire, secure Goma - Anadolu Ajansı

Leaders of Eastern and Southern African regional blocs met for an unprecedented joint summit on Saturday to find a solution to a conflict in eastern Congo, where Rwandan-backed rebels’ rapid advance since January has fanned fears of a wider war.

Kosovo's ruling Vetevendosje party is on track to come first in a parliamentary election on Sunday, but it will need to negotiate a coalition with other parties to form a government, an exit poll showed.

Leaders from eastern and southern Africa have called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in eastern Congo, where Rwanda-backed rebels are threatening to overthrow the Congolese government.

Leaders from east and southern Africa call on all warring parties - including the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels - to meet within five days.

The M23 rebels last week captured Goma, the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo - the worst escalation of fighting in more than a decade that has left thousands dead. Despite announcing a unilateral ceasefire, they have continued to march south towards the city of Bukavu.

African leaders asked defense chiefs for a road map to end the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Their emergency talks in Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea come as the long-running crisis escalates.

Democratic Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi will take part in a joint summit of Eastern and Southern African leaders starting on Friday to discuss the conflict in its east, where Rwandan-backed rebels are seizing more territory.

A summit of leaders from east and southern Africa urged warring parties in the Democratic Republic of Congo to cease fire and hold meaningful talks to end the violence.