With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Paulina Zidi
Once again, a dozen countries have called on Rwanda to withdraw its troops from DRC. However, the Rwandan ambassador cited the threat posed by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group originally made up of former Rwandan genocidaires.
“You do not have the right to come and protect the Congolese populations on their territory. The Democratic Republic of Congo is sufficiently equipped to ensure the security of its own populations,” responded the Congolese representative.
The UN special envoy for the Great Lakes region then called on all parties to an immediate ceasefire. “No solution, no mediation, no verification mechanism, can succeed if the directly affected parties do not choose the path of peace,” he declared.
“Those who undermine peace should expect consequences”
Finally, the United States has asked the Congolese government to honor its commitments to neutralize the FDLR immediately. The American ambassador added, “Those who undermine peace should expect consequences to be taken against them.” It should be noted that the United States imposed a series of sanctions against Rwanda last March.
The eastern Congo, rich in natural resources and bordering Rwanda, has been plagued by violence for 30 years. Several ceasefires and truces have been signed since the end of 2021 and the resurgence of the armed group M23 supported by Rwanda in the region.
Read also DRC: Kinshasa and AFC/M23 formalize in Switzerland a joint mechanism for verifying the ceasefire.
At the beginning of 2025, the AFC/M23 and its allies successively seized the major cities of Goma and Bukavu after an offensive.
Two agreements have been signed since then: a declaration of principles in Doha by the AFC/M23 and the Kinshasa government, defining commitments for a ceasefire, and a “peace and prosperity” agreement endorsed in December in Washington by the DRC and Rwanda. So far, these two texts have not ended the clashes.
