Rwanda: Kagame, UN Chief Discuss Escalation of Violence in Eastern DR Congo

Cia Pak / UN Photo
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda.
8 November 2023
The New Times (Kigali)
By Michel Nkurunziza

President Paul Kagame, on November 7, 2023, had a productive phone conversation with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the worrying escalation of armed violence and ethnic rhetoric in eastern DR Congo, the office of the president announced.

According to a brief notice posted by the Presidency on X, formerly Twitter, President Kagame reiterated his view that "the solution is not a military one but a political one".

The President and UNSG António Guterres discussed continued strong collaboration towards peace and stability in DRC through ongoing regional efforts.

President Paul Kagame on Monday, November 6, also held a "productive call" with United States State Secretary Antony Blinken which attracted various discussions including the deterioration of the security situation in eastern DR Congo.

President Kagame had a productive phone conversation with UNSG António Guterres on the worrying escalation of armed violence and ethnic rhetoric in Eastern DRC. President Kagame reiterated his view that the solution is not a military one but a political one. The President and...-- Presidency | Rwanda (@UrugwiroVillage) November 7, 2023

The M23 rebels on Monday, November 6, claimed they have recaptured the strategic positions in eastern DR Congo that they had previously handed over to the East African Regional Force (EACRF), following the deteriorating security situation in the area.

This follows months after the rebels had vacated the positions, in compliance with the Luanda peace agreement that was aimed at giving a chance to a negotiated settlement of the conflict in the volatile region.

Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Vincent Biruta has deplored and refuted as unfounded the accusations continuously being made by the representatives of the DR Congo government against Rwanda.

At the just-concluded meeting of Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Biruta took the floor to deplore and refute accusations made at the same forum by a representative of the DR Congo government.

The Congolese military is fighting alongside a coalition of local militia groups under their group called Wazalendo together with the FDLR, a terror group made up of Rwandans who committed the Genocide against the Tutsi.

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