The planned summit of heads of state to discuss security issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was postponed after the DRC government reversed its decision to engage in talks with the M23 rebel group. This summit, initially scheduled to take place in Luanda, Angola, on Sunday, was to bring together the leaders of Angola, Rwanda, and the DRC to address ongoing security concerns in the region.
In an interview with Radio Rwanda, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, explained that the delay stemmed from the DRC government’s refusal to engage with M23 despite previous agreements. He revealed that during a ministerial meeting held the day before, the DRC officials spent nearly nine hours rejecting the proposal to resume negotiations with the rebel group.
Minister Nduhungirehe highlighted that Rwanda and the DRC face three critical issues: the FDLR terrorist group, defense strategies, and the M23 insurgency. While the first two issues were addressed in a document signed by ministers on November 25, 2024, the M23 conflict remains unresolved.
“The DRC government is insisting on not resolving the M23 issue, and this is the only remaining point on the agenda of the heads of state meeting,” said Minister Nduhungirehe. He reiterated Rwanda’s desire for peace and stability in eastern Congo, emphasizing that continued dialogue is essential for a lasting solution.
Rwanda has consistently supported the continuation of negotiations and has urged both mediators in the Luanda and Nairobi talks to maintain their efforts in engaging the M23 group. “We want the talks to continue, and we have asked the mediators to keep negotiating with the M23 group so they can present us with a written solution that leads to direct talks between the DRC government and M23,” Minister Nduhungirehe added.
Rwanda’s stance remains clear: the only viable path to resolving the ongoing conflict is through direct negotiations between the DRC government and the M23 rebel group. Minister Nduhungirehe emphasized that without these talks, the conflict in eastern DRC will remain unresolved.
As the situation continues to evolve, Rwanda’s government is hopeful that the international community will support the ongoing mediation efforts, helping bring about a peaceful resolution to the M23 conflict and other regional security challenges.
