Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi has publicly appealed to Rwandan President Paul Kagame to help end the insurgency by M23 rebels, despite Kigali accusing him of posturing.
Speaking at the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, Tshisekedi extended his hand to Kagame, saying, “It is not too late to do things right.”
He urged Rwanda to tell M23 to stop its military escalation in eastern Congo, where thousands have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced.
The conflict has led to a humanitarian crisis, with mediation efforts by the US and Qatar encountering setbacks. A UN report in July accused Kigali of exercising command and control over the rebels, which Rwanda denies.
The two countries signed a peace deal in Washington in June, but implementation has been slow, and tensions remain high. Rwandan officials rejected Tshisekedi’s appeal, blaming Kinshasa for stoking tensions.
