Luanda – The presidents of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, and of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Félix Tshisekedi, on Wednesday agreed on the need to put an end to the differences between the two countries, with the aim of resolving the armed conflict in eastern DRC.
The two statesmen, who praised the efforts of President Lourenço to ease the relations between the two countries, stressed that the political crisis is contributing to the deterioration of the military situation in eastern DRC and the wellbeing of local communities.
President Kagame said the results achieved at the summit in Luanda were satisfactory, taking into account the bases of understanding reached under the mediation of President Lourenço.
The Rwandan Head of State said that the Luanda understanding will be the beginning of the normalization of the relations between the two countries and peoples.
For DRC president Félix Tshisekedi, the efforts of João Lourenço are contributing to ease the tension and the relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Félix Tshisekedi considered the tense climate between the two countries and peoples “useless”, as it is a destabilising factor and does not contribute to the development and wellbeing of the respective peoples and communities.
In his view, steps need to be taken to put an end to the crisis and re-establish trust between the political leaderships, as a way of looking to the future of the DRC and Rwanda in particular, and the region in general.
Relations between the two neighbouring countries have been complicated since the DRC took in, in the east, Rwandan Hutus accused of taking part in the genocide of Tutsis in 1994.
In March of this year (2022), the DRC accused the Rwandan government of sending special forces into Congolese territory.
The current escalation of tension is due to the resurgence of the M23 group (Movement 23 March), an armed militia that in 2012 opposed the Congolese government and generated a violent conflict that forced the displacement of thousands of people in the province of North Kivu.
At the end of the same year (2012), M23 took control of Goma, but retreated after the Congolese government agreed to open negotiations.
M23 was initially a militia formed by Tutsis from the DRC and reportedly supported by the governments of Rwanda and Uganda. On 23 March 2009, the militia signed a peace agreement with the Congolese government that culminated in its members being incorporated into the DRC army.
However, in 2012, the rebels rebelled against the DRC government, accused of not fulfilling its part of the agreement signed three years earlier. Thus, the M23 was born, in reference to the date on which the controversial pact was signed.
Tension between the militia and the army reached a peak in November 2012, when M23 took command of the Goma region (DRC).
Source: Angola Press News Agency