Rwanda has expressed support for a proposed joint regional summit aimed at addressing the escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The call for a summit comes as the M23 armed group, which the UN and several nations accuse Rwanda of backing, has made significant territorial advances in eastern DRC.
The rebel group has taken control of Goma, a major city, and has threatened to march on the capital, Kinshasa.
The conflict has intensified tensions across the region, prompting the 16-member South African Development Community (SADC) to call for a meeting with the eight-nation East African Community (EAC) to discuss security in the DRC.
In a statement, Rwanda’s foreign ministry said it “welcomes the proposed joint summit” and reiterated its stance that a political solution is necessary to end the ongoing crisis.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame did not attend the recent SADC emergency session, where DRC President Félix Tshisekedi participated virtually.
However, Kagame was present at an EAC emergency session earlier in the week, which Tshisekedi missed.
The latest SADC meeting was convened following the deaths of soldiers from South Africa and Malawi in Goma.
The soldiers were part of SADC’s peacekeeping force, SAMIDRC (Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo).
Rwanda has criticized the presence of the SADC force in the DRC, arguing that it exacerbates existing problems.
Kagame has made similar remarks in the past, while Rwanda has consistently denied direct military involvement in supporting M23.
A United Nations expert report from July 2024 claimed that Rwanda had approximately 4,000 troops in eastern DRC and maintained “de facto” control over M23.
Rwanda, in turn, accuses DRC of supporting the FDLR, an armed group composed of former Hutu leaders responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
As tensions rise, regional leaders face mounting pressure to find a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.
