Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe revealed on Saturday that Congo’s foreign minister declined to sign a deal aimed at easing the ongoing conflict involving the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The conflict has displaced over 1.7 million people since 2022.
The M23 insurgency, led by the Tutsi group, has been a source of tension in the region. Congo and international bodies, including the United Nations, accuse Rwanda of providing military support to M23, an allegation Rwanda denies. Kigali argues that its actions are defensive, accusing Congo of collaborating with the Hutu-led Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a group responsible for attacks against Tutsis.
The two nations participated in August negotiations to de-escalate the conflict, which has worsened an already severe humanitarian crisis and sparked fears of a broader regional war.
Nduhungirehe told Reuters that during the talks, Congolese military intelligence officials and other delegates had agreed on a plan to neutralize the FDLR and gradually lift Rwanda’s defensive stance. The ministers were expected to sign the agreement on September 14.
“We were prepared to sign,” Nduhungirehe said, “but the Congolese minister objected after reviewing the report.” He noted that the Congolese side disagreed with the proposed sequence of actions—specifically, Congo’s demand that Rwanda ease its defensive measures simultaneously with the neutralization of the FDLR.
There has been no immediate comment from the Congolese government on the matter.
Both DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame attended a summit in France, but a proposed meeting between the two leaders and French President Emmanuel Macron did not materialize. Instead, Tshisekedi and Kagame met privately with Macron separately.
