US Secretary of State and President Kagame talk about the “need to address root causes” of the DR Congo situation

On Wednesday, January 29, President Paul Kagame announced that he had discussed the “need to ensure a ceasefire” in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The war, which has been going on since late 2021, escalated on Sunday when M23 rebels took control of Goma city.

Kagame and Rubio also talked on the necessity of “addressing the root causes of the conflict once and for all, and on the importance of deepening our bilateral ties based upon respect for our respective national interests,” according to a video posted on X.

“I am eager to collaborate with the Trump Administration to establish the prosperity and security that our region’s citizens are entitled to.”

Goma, which is home to almost two million people, was overrun by the M23 rebels on Sunday night after they gave the Congolese government forces a 48-hour ultimatum to lay down arms.

The rebels forced members of the Congolese military to surrender, and they gave their guns to MONUSCO, the UN mission in the war-torn nation. 

Nonetheless, the conflict over the Rwandan border city persisted Monday, with the FDLR militia and Congolese army firing shells over Rwandan territory, killing nine people and wounding over thirty more.

As a result of Kinshasa accusing its neighbor of aiding the rebels, ties between Rwanda and the DR Congo have been impacted. Rwanda denies the accusations, citing its security concerns over the Congolese army’s cooperation with the FDLR, a terrorist organization created by those responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and sanctioned by the UN.

Alongside Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi’s warnings of regime change, Rwanda also highlights the danger presented by the Congolese army’s actions near its border, as well as those of thousands of Burundian forces, European mercenaries, and South Africa-led SADC soldiers.

Rwanda insists that a political process involving peace negotiations with M23 should end the crisis, while Kinshasa excludes the prospect of such negotiations by labeling the group a terrorist organization.

An agreement that would have set the stage for talks with the rebels was drafted by the foreign ministers of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Angola. The Congolese government abruptly rejected the accord in mid-December.

Prior to seizing Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu and a focal point for international military and humanitarian assistance in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the battle intensified as the rebels gained more territory.

The East African Community’s (EAC) heads of state are anticipated to convene a crisis conference in order to resolve the growing tension.