President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)Felix Tshisekedi says he’s willing to meet his Rwandese counterpart, Paul Kagame. The potential convening of the neighbouring heads of state comes on the heels of Tshisekedi’s state visit to Angola on 27 February and was confirmed by country’s foreign minister Téte António. No date has been scheduled for the talk between the two presidents.
During his stay in Luanda, Tshisekedi spoke with Angolan President João Lourenço about the ongoing crisis in the eastern Congo. Lourenço has served as a mediator between Rwanda and DRC as part of the African Union-backed “Luanda Process”. During the 37th AU Summit in mid-February, the Angolan leader convened with Kagame and Tshisekedi separately.
The DRC has long accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels operating in the eastern Congo. However, Kigali has repeatedly denied the claims.
Meanwhile, the UN peace-keeping force in Congo (Monusco) has handed over the Kamanyola base, the first in a drawdown that will see its complete withdrawal from the DRC after a 25-year presence. Against a backdrop of successive anti-UN protests, Tshisekedi called for the peace-keeping force to leave the Congo. UN troops have frequently been accused of failing to protect civilians in the decades-long internal conflict, as well as committing human rights abuses. In September 2023, six Congolese soldiers were charged with killing 56 demonstrators at an anti-UN protest in the eastern Congo.