Windhoek, December 16 — Talks between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, aimed at ending the conflict in eastern DRC, were abruptly called off after negotiations reached a stalemate.
The summit that was scheduled for Sunday, was expected to yield a deal to end the conflict.
According to reports, Angolan President Joao Lourenco met with DRC leader Felix Tshisekedi Sunday, but Rwandan President Paul Kagame did not attend.
The Congolese presidency revealed that the stalemate was caused by Rwanda’s demand that the DRC engage in direct dialogue with the M23 rebels as a precondition for signing an agreement. Congolese leadership is opposed to direct talks with M23 rebels.
Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe emphasized that his country wants a “firm commitment from the DRC to resume direct talks with the M23 within a well-defined framework and timeframe”. However, the DRC maintains that the M23 only exists because of Rwandan military support, making direct dialogue challenging.
The stalemate of the talks came as the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel militia continues to wreak havoc in the region, seizing large swaths of land in eastern DRC since 2021, summary executions, forced recruitment of civilians and ethnic violence. The resulting humanitarian crisis has displaced thousands, sparking widespread concern.
Human Rights Watch has documented the killing of at least 131 civilians by M23 rebels in Kishishe, with eyewitnesses recounting the horrors they witnessed.
The conflict has also led to the formation of a coalition of militias, including the Patriots’ Alliance for a Free and Sovereign Congo (APCLS) and the Nyatura’s Coalition of Movements for Change (CMC/FDP). These groups have been implicated in serious human rights abuses, including rape, killing of civilians, and village raids.
The international community has urged Rwanda to end its support for the M23, with the United States, the European Union, and other countries calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
The M23 rebels have been a major point of contention between Rwanda and the DRC. The DRC accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels, while Rwanda denies these allegations and instead accuses the DRC of supporting the FDLR militia, a group that Rwanda views as a threat to regional peace and security.
The collapse of the summit is a significant setback to efforts to end the conflict. The international community has urged Rwanda to end its support for the M23, and the US and EU have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. However, with the summit called off, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold.
A Congolese government source emphasized that if Rwanda is genuinely committed to negotiations and withdraws its troops from Congolese soil, the conflict with M23 would cease, and so would Rwanda’s involvement.
Rwanda, however, denies these allegations and instead accuses the DRC of supporting the FDLR militia, which Rwanda views as a threat to regional peace and security.
The fragile truce between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains precarious, with clashes intensifying since late October. The situation is further complicated by the presence of various rival armed groups in the mineral-rich eastern DRC, which has been plagued by internal and cross-border violence for over three decades.
Despite Angola’s mediation efforts in early August, which stabilized the front line, both sides have continued to exchange fire. The lack of direct communication between Rwandan President Kagame and DRC President Tshisekedi, who last met in October in Paris but did not speak, has not helped the situation.
The conflict has its roots in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which led to the formation of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) militia. Rwanda views the FDLR as a threat to its security, while the DRC sees it as a legitimate militia fighting against the M23 rebels.
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