Published on: 07.05.2022 – 14:55
Congolese and Rwandan Presidents meet in Luanda, Angola on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, along with Angolan President Joao Lourenço, who has been appointed by the African Union to mediate the crisis between the two countries. For months, Kinshasa has accused Kigali of supporting the M23 rebel group, which is in the midst of a resurgence in eastern DRC. Rwandans refused support.
The meeting was scheduled to begin with a face-to-face meeting between Félix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame around midday in the presence of Angolan President Joao Lourenço. This tripartite meeting will be followed by extensive talks between delegations, as it is known that the President of the DRC has sent his chief of diplomacy, Christophe Lutundula, as well as his special envoy, Serge Tshibanga. According to a good source, the Congolese President will also arrive with members of the army, immigration and intelligence services. Teams have been in Luanda for several days preparing the ground.
On the agenda: the suspension of bilateral agreements and Rwandair flights to the Democratic Republic of Congo in recent weeks will be on the table. Félix Tshisekedi will demand that Rwanda clarify its ties to the M23 and Stop helping the armed group. “If Kigali continues to deny, the head of state will be very tough. He will use military means against the M23,” a close presidential candidate hints.
“I will always be prepared for the worst”
Speaking on the Kigali side, Paul Kagame said Monday he wished the two countries “the best”. And added: “If it doesn’t happen, I will always be prepared for the worst”. In any case, the Rwandan President will come up with his own arguments. On Monday, he reiterated that the FDLR’s Rwandan Hutu rebels “fought alongside the Congolese.” “We were hit by shells fired from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But we need peace for our two countries,” he said. Paul Kagame will be accompanied by his Special Advisor on Security Affairs, the very influential James Kabarebe.
As far as the deployment of the East African troops in the Congo is concerned, Kinshasa wants to rule out Rwanda. “I have no problem with that,” said Paul Kagame. Since fighting resumed in late 2021, attacks attributed to the M23 have killed several dozen civilians and displaced more than 170,000 people.