The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, has accused Rwanda of delaying the implementation of a peace deal signed by both countries in Washington in June.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Monday, Tshisekedi alleged that Kigali is using the peace process to “gain time for the crisis to worsen.”
“Rwanda pretends to have withdrawn its troops but in reality, Rwanda troops continue to be present on Congolese soil and to support the M23,” he said, referring to the Rwandan-backed armed group that has made rapid gains in eastern DRC this year.
“We, from our side, are ready to make peace,” Tshisekedi added.
He also hinted that his country is seeking greater security cooperation from Washington in exchange for a stable supply of critical metals such as cobalt, which are used in electronic devices and batteries.
The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, bordering Rwanda and rich in natural resources, has suffered extreme violence for more than three decades, with non-state armed groups controlling vast areas.
Since resuming hostilities at the end of 2021, the M23 armed group has seized swathes of land, including the key cities of Goma and Bukavu, and set up its own administrations, triggering a deepening humanitarian crisis.
The Congolese government and the M23 signed a declaration of principles on July 19 in Qatar that included a “permanent ceasefire” aimed at halting the conflict. This followed a separate peace deal between Kinshasa and Kigali signed in Washington in June.
Earlier this month, Rwanda condemned a Human Rights Watch report that used satellite data to show the apparent expansion of a military graveyard during months of conflict in DR Congo.
