Rwanda expressed support on Sunday for a proposed joint regional summit aimed at addressing the escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The M23 armed group, which the United Nations and several countries claim is supported by Rwanda, has made significant advances in eastern DRC, capturing the strategic city of Goma and threatening to march on the capital. This marks the latest flare-up in a long-standing conflict in the mineral-rich region, which has been plagued by fighting from various armed groups for decades. The situation has raised alarm across the continent, prompting regional blocs to hold emergency summits to address the growing tensions.
On Friday, the 16-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) called for a joint summit with the eight-nation East African Community (EAC) to discuss the deteriorating security situation in the DRC. Rwanda’s foreign ministry welcomed the proposed summit, stating it had consistently advocated for a political resolution to the ongoing conflict.
While Rwanda is not a member of the SADC and therefore did not attend their emergency session, President Paul Kagame had participated in an earlier EAC emergency session, where Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi was absent. The SADC meeting was convened after soldiers from South Africa and Malawi, part of the bloc’s peacekeeping force in DRC (SAMIDRC), were killed in the fighting near Goma.
In its statement, Rwanda’s foreign ministry criticised the presence of SAMIDRC forces in the DRC, arguing that their involvement is exacerbating the conflict rather than helping to resolve it. President Kagame has previously made similar remarks, asserting that the peacekeeping forces should not be in the region as they are contributing to the existing problems.
Although Rwanda has consistently denied any military involvement in supporting the M23 group, a United Nations expert report from July 2024 indicated that Rwanda had approximately 4,000 troops stationed in eastern DRC and accused Kigali of exerting “de facto” control over the M23. Rwanda, for its part, has accused DR Congo of supporting and sheltering the FDLR, an armed group formed by former Hutu extremists responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
As tensions continue to rise in the region, the call for a summit reflects a growing urgency for regional cooperation and dialogue to prevent further escalation and find a long-term solution to the conflict.
