Rwanda says Congo declined to endorse a deal intended to address the M23 rebel conflict

Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe announced on Saturday that his Congolese counterpart declined to endorse a previously agreed-upon deal intended to address the M23 rebel conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a situation that has led to the displacement of over 1.7 million individuals.

The Tutsi-led M23 has been conducting an insurgency in the violence-stricken eastern region of the central African nation since 2022. The Democratic Republic of Congo, along with the United Nations and other entities, has accused neighboring Rwanda of providing support to the group through the deployment of its own troops and weaponry.

Rwanda, while denying any involvement with M23, asserts that it has implemented what it describes as defensive actions and accuses Congo of collaborating with the Hutu rebel faction, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which has targeted Tutsis in both nations.

Both nations engaged in negotiations in late August aimed at alleviating the conflict, which has exacerbated the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region and has occasionally sparked concerns about a broader war.

Nduhungirehe informed Reuters that participants in the discussions, including the head of military intelligence from Congo, had reached an agreement and signed a plan aimed at “neutralising the FDLR and lifting Rwanda’s defence measures.” He mentioned that this agreement was scheduled to be formally signed by ministers on September 14, during a summit of leaders from French-speaking nations in France.

“We were prepared to sign … but the Congolese minister declined. Initially, she provided feedback on the report, and after further consultation, she returned to express her opposition to adopting the report,” he stated.

According to Nduhungirehe, the plan outlined that actions against the FDLR would be executed first, followed by Rwanda relaxing its “defence measures” a few days later. He noted that the Congolese minister objected to this sequence, insisting that both actions should occur simultaneously. A spokesperson for the Congolese government did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Both leaders of Congo and Rwanda, Felix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame, were present at the summit in France. French President Emmanuel Macron had suggested a trilateral meeting; however, the two leaders ultimately had separate private discussions with Macron.