Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi on Thursday publicly appealed to Rwandan President Paul Kagame to help end the M23 rebel insurgency in eastern Congo, as U.S. and Qatari mediation efforts continue to face obstacles.
Speaking at the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, Tshisekedi extended an olive branch to his Rwandan counterpart, who was present at the event, urging renewed efforts to restore peace between the two neighboring nations.
“It is not too late to do things right,” Tshisekedi said. “I take this forum as a witness to extend my hand to you, Mr. President, so that we can make peace between brave men.”
He also called on Rwanda to use its influence to halt M23’s military escalation, describing it as a necessary step toward achieving peace.
The M23 rebel group, which launched a major offensive earlier this year, now controls more territory in eastern Congo than at any point since its re-emergence in 2021.
While Rwanda denies supporting the group, a U.N. expert panel report in July found that Kigali maintains command and control over M23’s operations, a claim Rwanda has repeatedly dismissed.
Tshisekedi’s appeal comes amid stalled peace efforts led by the United States and Qatar. Despite a peace deal signed between Congo and Rwanda in Washington in June, and several rounds of direct talks with M23 hosted in Doha, progress has slowed.
Last month, the U.S. State Department cited “delays in implementation” of key elements of the agreement.
Plans for a new economic cooperation framework between Congo and Rwanda were also derailed last week after Kinshasa reportedly refused to sign the accord.
Rwanda swiftly rejected Tshisekedi’s overture on Thursday, accusing him of political posturing.
“The only one who can stop this escalation is President Tshisekedi and HE ALONE,” Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Rwanda’s presidential press secretary Stephanie Nyombayire also criticized the Congolese leader, saying he had used the Brussels platform to “cast himself as a peacemaker while claiming victimhood of the very conflict he caused and has refused to resolve.”
The DRC’s mineral-rich eastern region has been mired in violence for decades, with conflicts rooted in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Thousands have been killed this year and hundreds of thousands displaced as clashes between M23 rebels and Congolese forces persist.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
