Congo’s president has announced plans to form a unity government as violence escalates in the country’s east and criticism mounts over his handling of the crisis.
In his first public comments since Rwandan-backed rebels seized key cities in eastern Congo, President Felix Tshisekedi addressed members of the Sacred Union of the Nation ruling coalition on Saturday, urging them to prioritise unity over internal divisions.
“I may have lost a battle, but not the war. I need to engage with everyone, including the opposition. A national unity government will be formed,” Tshisekedi declared, though he did not provide details on its composition or timeline.
The M23 rebels, one of more than 100 armed groups vying for control in eastern Congo, have made rapid territorial gains, capturing strategic cities and causing an estimated 3,000 deaths.
During a swift three-week offensive, the M23 seized Goma, the region’s largest city, and later took Bukavu, the second-largest. U.N. experts estimate that around 4,000 Rwandan troops are supporting the rebels, who have threatened to push their advance toward Kinshasa, Congo’s capital, more than 1,000 miles away.
Rwanda has accused Congo of enlisting ethnic Hutu fighters linked to the 1994 genocide against Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The M23 claims its mission is to protect Tutsis and Congolese of Rwandan descent from discrimination and to modernise Congo. However, analysts argue these justifications serve as a cover for Rwanda’s deeper involvement.
On Saturday, Tshisekedi paid tribute to fallen soldiers and vowed to reinforce the military.
