Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi will travel to the US next week to sign a final agreement with his Rwandan counterpart aimed at securing peace in eastern Congo, the Congolese government said on Friday, capping months-long diplomatic efforts spearheaded by US President Donald Trump.
Any signing by Congo, however, will be contingent on Rwanda withdrawing support for the M23 rebels, according to Tina Salama, a spokesperson for President Tshisekedi, who told The Associated Press.
Tshisekedi’s confirmation of the December 4th signing comes a day after Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame expressed optimism over the deal, but cautioned that lasting peace in DRC’s eastern region can only be achieved if “people directly concerned are committed to achieving results.”
Eastern DRC has been battered by fighting between government forces and more than 100 armed groups, the most potent being the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
The conflict escalated this year, with the M23 seizing the region’s main cities of Goma and Bukavu, worsening a humanitarian crisis that was already one of the world’s largest.
Territorial integrity out of question
UN experts have said that between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwandan government forces are deployed in eastern DRC, operating alongside the M23. Rwanda denies such support but has said that any action taken in the conflict is to protect its territory.
Salama, the Congolese president’s spokesperson, said a peace deal must be reached with “no mixing or integration of M23 fighters,” adding that the withdrawal of Rwandan troops had already been agreed in an earlier accord signed in June by both Congolese and Rwandan foreign ministers.
“We are seeking peace within the framework of regional integration,” Salama said. “What is non-negotiable for us is the territorial integrity of the DRC.”
Kagame on Thursday expressed concern that Congolese authorities are reneging on previous agreements and constantly shifting the goalposts, adding that the success of the agreement will depend on the commitment of the two warring sides.
“Some of these processes will not work, not just because we are meeting in Washington or because the powerful US is involved, but until those people concerned directly are committed to achieving end results,” Kagame said.
