Category: Politics

Kenyatta, the facilitator of the East African Community (EAC)-led Nairobi Peace Process, emphasized that both initiatives play complementary roles in addressing the multi-layered crisis.

“The two processes of Luanda and Nairobi hold the greatest promise for a resolution and termination of the crisis in the eastern DRC. The two processes are complementary and interdependent,” Kenyatta stated in a briefing submitted to the EAC, the African Union (AU), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Thursday, February 6, 2025.

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The Nairobi Process, spearheaded by the EAC, aims to mediate a resolution between the Government of the DRC and various armed groups active in the eastern regions of the country. Since its inception in 2022, the initiative has hosted multiple rounds of peace talks in Nairobi, aiming to facilitate the disarmament and reintegration of armed factions.

“The political aspect [of the Nairobi Process] focused on engaging all stakeholders including armed groups, political factions, civil society, and regional partners in an inclusive conversation aimed at resolving the conflict and fostering long-term peace,” Kenyatta explained.

This initiative also led to the deployment of the EAC Regional Force (EACRF) to maintain security in volatile areas. However, recent political shifts in the DRC, coupled with renewed violence in North and South Kivu, have significantly undermined its progress.

The Luanda Peace Process, on the other hand, is mediated by Angola under the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the African Union (AU). It primarily seeks to de-escalate tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, which Kinshasa accuses of backing the M23 rebel group—claims that President Paul Kagame has repeatedly dismissed.

In November 2022, the process facilitated a ceasefire agreement between the DRC government and M23 rebels, but its implementation has been inconsistent.

Kenyatta’s report highlights setbacks faced by the Nairobi Peace Process, particularly the disruption caused by the December 2023 DRC elections and the subsequent formation of a new government. These political shifts slowed down peace negotiations, exacerbating security instability in the region.

“Following the December 2023 elections in the DRC, the formation of a new government delayed the resumption of the Nairobi Process. While engagements with key stakeholders continued, the lack of political momentum, coupled with renewed hostilities in North Kivu and South Kivu, has significantly undermined the progress made in 2022-2023,” he stated.

The M23 rebels last month regained control of key towns, including Goma, leading to renewed conflict in the eastern DRC.

Despite these challenges, Kenyatta remains hopeful that a concerted effort involving both peace processes can lead to lasting peace.

“There is an African solution to this African problem, and it is predicated on bringing both DRC and Rwanda back to the negotiation table while at the same time ensuring that the internal dynamics of people and politics in the eastern DRC are managed and directed to a path of peace and reconciliation through the Intra-Congolese Dialogue process,” he asserted.

The upcoming joint Summit of SADC and EAC, scheduled for February 7-8, 2025, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as well as the African Union’s 37th Ordinary Session, will be crucial in determining the next steps for the peace efforts.

Kenyatta’s report urges renewed political will, regional coordination, and sustained international support to prevent further deterioration of the security situation.

In a post on X, Joe Wilson, who has represented South Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2001, urged the Congolese leader to use the upcoming joint summit of heads of state from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as a platform for cooperation rather than escalating tensions with Rwanda.

He emphasized that the crisis in “Goma is in the hands of Tshisekedi.”

“Félix Tshisekedi must get serious about the peace process in the Eastern DRC now. The EAC summit in Dar es Salaam is an opportunity for the DRC to work together with Paul Kagame for peace, not point fingers and deepen tensions,” he wrote.

.@FelixUdps must get serious about the peace process in the Eastern DRC now. The @jumuiya summit in Dar es Salaam is an opportunity for DRC to work together with @PaulKagame for peace, not point fingers and deepen tensions. The crisis in Goma is in the hands of Tshisekedi.

— Joe Wilson (@RepJoeWilson) February 4, 2025

Tshisekedi skipped an extraordinary summit convened by the EAC on January 29 to address the deteriorating security situation in eastern DRC. His absence raised concerns about Kinshasa’s willingness to embrace dialogue, even as pressure mounts for a political resolution to the conflict.

He has previously resisted direct negotiations with M23, labeling them a terrorist group. His government has also failed to honour previous agreements with the rebels, who claim to be fighting against the marginalization and persecution of Congolese Rwandophones. Instead, Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of aiding the group’s activities—allegations Rwanda has denied.

The EAC summit, chaired by Kenya’s President William Ruto and attended by President Paul Kagame and other regional leaders, urged Tshisekedi’s administration to engage directly with M23 rebels and other armed groups in a bid to resolve the escalating crisis in the country’s east.

SADC, which is contributing troops to the region, held a separate meeting last Friday and made a similar appeal to the Congolese government.

On Monday, President Ruto said both President Kagame and President Tshisekedi had confirmed their participation in the upcoming summit, which aims to “coordinate responses” to the crisis.

“Through our collective effort, we will ensure security reigns on our continent,” he said.

The meeting will be preceded by a ministerial session on Friday, before the Heads of State convene on Saturday.

“President Samia Suluhu Hassan has graciously agreed to host the summit to deliberate on the situation in Eastern DRC,” Kenya’s State House said in a statement.

The Congolese government has called for Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain to sever their partnerships, accusing the Rwandan government of using sports as a tool for “sportswashing” amid ongoing tensions in eastern DR Congo.

Congo’s Foreign Minister, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, recently wrote to the clubs, questioning the morality of their deals with Rwanda, alleging the sponsorship is funded by illicit mining from conflict zones in eastern DR Congo.

However, during an exclusive interview with CNN, President Kagame firmly rejected the accusations, terming the Congolese government’s campaign a “wasted effort.”

The Head of State suggested that the Congolese government’s focus should be on managing internal issues and solving the country’s political problems.

President Kagame maintained that Rwanda is not directly involved in arming or supporting the M23 rebels.

He pointed out that much of the “sophisticated equipment” used by M23 in the recent fighting, which led to the capture of Goma City, came from the Congolese army, which had been defeated and pursued by the rebels.

During the interview, President Kagame expressed frustration with President Félix Tshisekedi’s absence from diplomatic engagements aimed at addressing the conflict, especially after he skipped a Heads of State extraordinary summit that brought together Heads of State from the East African Community (EAC) to deliberate on the security situation in eastern Congo.

“When you have a problem, you must look for the cause. The one with the problem must seek a solution,” Kagame emphasized.

President Kagame has often accused the Congolese administration of ignoring the root causes of the conflict in the eastern region and prioritizing military solutions over a political resolution, which can be achieved through dialogue with the M23 group fighting for the interests of the Congolese Rwandophones, particularly the Tutsi community.

Speaking in a separate interview with Al Jazeera, Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe dismissed the narrative of Rwanda exploiting minerals in Congo as a distraction from the more profound issues of ethnic persecution and governance failures.

“This narrative of minerals as the root cause of this conflict is really a lazy and unacceptable narrative,” he remarked, stressing that the conflict’s core lies in the protection and rights of communities.

The Visit Rwanda campaign, launched in 2018, has helped raise the country’s global profile, with significant partnerships with high-profile football clubs, which have boosted Rwanda’s tourism sector and foreign investments.

Rwanda has repeatedly dismissed sportswashing claims, with the country’s Chief Tourism Officer, Irene Murerwa, calling such claims a “distraction” from Rwanda’s achievements.

In a candid interview with Al Jazeera, Minister Nduhungirehe highlighted the historical context of the conflict, pointing to the artificial borders drawn by colonial powers in the early 20th century, which he argues have led to the marginalization and persecution of Congolese Rwandophones, particularly the Tutsi community in Eastern DRC.

“Rwanda was a German colony, and in 1910, 1912, and 1911, there was a meeting in Brussels where Belgium, Germany, and the United Kingdom decided to draw the borders between the three countries artificially. We had part of the Kingdom of Rwanda which was given to Congo with the people, and another part was given to Uganda. Then we have people of Rwandan culture and heritage in those two countries; in DRC, which was Congo at that time, and Uganda,” Nduhungirehe explained.

“But those in Uganda never had any problem; they were integrated into society, considered as Ugandans. However, those in Congo, who have lived there since 1910, were never considered as Congolese; they were always suspected to be Rwandan. And this went on until the independence of Congo, and this marginalization under suspicion continued. In the 1970s, the then President of Zaire, which was the name of the country, President Mobutu, decided to give them citizenship, but 10 years later in the 80s, he stripped that citizenship from them, so their situation was always difficult,” he added.

The minister insisted that the continued persecution of Rwandophones in eastern Congo birthed the M23 group, which is fighting for the rights of the marginalized group.

He emphasized that the M23 is fundamentally a Congolese movement defending its community, dismissing the narrative that marginalized groups were foreigners in their own land and that Rwanda was aiding them.

“The M23 is a Congolese movement supporting and defending a Congolese community,” he stated, adding that Rwanda’s purported involvement in the conflict had been misrepresented.

Nduhungirehe was particularly vocal about the international community’s failure to address the genocide ideology propagated by the FDLR, a group sanctioned by the United Nations but still active and collaborating with the DRC government. The FDLR continues to pose a security threat to Rwanda, three decades after being involved in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

“It’s unacceptable for the government of DRC to collaborate with this group of genocidaires, the FDLR,” he noted, criticizing the bias in international reports and the lack of condemnation for atrocities committed against Congolese Tutsis.

He further accused the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, of not only failing in its mandate but also exacerbating the situation by supporting forces that include genocidal elements and mercenaries. He maintained that such actions violate international conventions.

“MONUSCO in Eastern DRC has not been part of the solution; it has been part of the problem,” Nduhungirehe asserted.

More than 280 European mercenaries recently fled DRC after being defeated by the M23 in a battle that led to the capture of Goma, the capital and largest city of the North Kivu Province. The Romanian mercenaries departed for their home country through Rwanda last week following the closure of Goma airport.

The minister also addressed the often-cited narrative that the conflict is primarily driven by mineral wealth, dismissing it as a distraction from the more profound issues of ethnic persecution and governance failures.

“This narrative of minerals as the root cause of this conflict is really a lazy and unacceptable narrative,” he remarked, stressing that the conflict’s core lies in the protection and rights of communities.

Regarding peace processes, Nduhungirehe spoke with frustration about the stalled negotiations, particularly under the Nairobi and Luanda frameworks.

He criticized the international community for not pushing for a political solution to the M23 issue, despite Rwanda’s consistent advocacy for direct talks between the DRC government and the M23.

“We have always supported a political solution to the M23 question,” he said.

Nduhungirehe’s remarks come at a time when tensions in DRC remain high following the capture of Goma and several key towns by M23.

Heads of State from the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) are expected to hold a joint crisis meeting in Tanzania later this week to chart the way forward in silencing the guns in eastern DRC.

SADC is contributing troops to the region and has, in recent days, suffered at least 14 deaths from the fight between the M23 and coalition forces allied with the Congolese government.

In an official communique released on Saturday, February 1, M23 political spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka stated that dialogue was the only viable route to addressing the root causes of the ongoing conflict.

“We reiterate our call for a sincere and direct dialogue with the Kinshasa regime to address the root causes of the conflict and establish lasting peace in our country,” M23 said while thanking the “people of Goma for their warm reception”.

The group reaffirmed its commitment to protecting all populations in areas under its control and warned the Kinshasa regime against attempting a military offensive.

“We remind the Kinshasa regime that AFC/M23 remains firmly committed to protecting all populations in the liberated areas. Contrary to its threats of attack, we emphasize that the regime neither has the means nor the capability to launch an offensive against these areas. Should it attempt to do so, it would bear full responsibility for the consequences,” the statement read.

Kanyuka also urged elements of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), police, and Wazalendo militias to surrender voluntarily at Stade de l’Unité, assuring them of safe passage.

“We urge those sheltering them to encourage them to come forward as instructed. These individuals are Congolese citizens and will not face any hostility from us,” he said.

In recent days, a number of Congolese soldiers have surrendered following the capture of Goma with some [seeking refuge in Rwanda->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/drc-soldiers-flee-to-rwanda].

M23’s call for dialogue comes amid growing pressure on Tshisekedi’s administration from regional leaders and a wave of protests in Goma.

On Friday, thousands of residents, including refugees, took to the streets to denounce the targeted persecution of Congolese Tutsi and demand President Tshisekedi’s resignation for failing to address key issues and bring lasting peace to the region. These are the same issues M23 is fighting for.

Protesters also called for the withdrawal of foreign forces, including Southern African Development Community (SADC) troops, the United Nations peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO), and Burundian forces.

The protests follow the East African Community (EAC) extraordinary summit on January 29, where regional heads of state urged the DRC government to engage directly with M23 and other armed groups to resolve the crisis.

The summit emphasized that a peaceful settlement remains the only viable solution. However, President Tshisekedi, who has consistently labeled M23 as a terrorist group, was notably absent from the summit, raising concerns over Kinshasa’s willingness to negotiate.

The push for negotiations has also gained support from SADC, which on Friday called for dialogue among all parties to restore peace and security in eastern DRC.

Recently, Corneille Nangaa, head of an alliance of rebel groups including M23, vowed that the movement would not retreat from Goma unless its demands were addressed.

Speaking to journalists in Goma, Nangaa declared that the rebels would continue their “march of liberation” towards Kinshasa.

“We are in Goma, and we will not leave… for as long as the questions for which we took up arms have not been answered,” Nangaa said. He further pledged that M23 would restore essential services in Goma within 48 hours after they were cut off by the government during recent clashes.

With regional and international stakeholders calling for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian access to affected populations, pressure is mounting on both M23 and the Tshisekedi government to reach a political resolution to the conflict. However, it remains uncertain whether Kinshasa will heed these calls for dialogue.

The meeting was also attended by Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, and the Deputy Secretary-General of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), Brig. Gen. Jean Paul Nyirubutama.

Rwanda and Qatar enjoy strong diplomatic ties across various sectors, including security. The Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) regularly sends its personnel to Qatar for aviation training. On January 15, 2025, Rwanda and Qatar signed an agreement focused on training RDF personnel, sharing knowledge, and enhancing aviation expertise.

The agreement was signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defense, Brig. Gen. Célestin Kanyamahanga, and Sheikh Jabor Bin Hamad Al Thani, head of Qatar Aviation College.

Shortly after, Rwanda’s Inspector General of Police, CG Felix Namuhoranye, led a delegation on a three-day working visit to Qatar.

During his visit, CG Namuhoranye attended the graduation ceremony for junior officers at the Qatar Police Academy in Doha, presided over by Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The Inspector General of Police also visited a specialized training centre focused on emergency response and rescue operations.

Rwanda and Qatar also collaborate in investment promotion and protection, economic and trade cooperation, technology, and tourism.

Qatar is a key partner in Rwanda’s aviation sector, particularly in the Bugesera International Airport project, where Qatar Airways holds a 60% stake. Discussions are also ongoing regarding Qatar Airways acquiring a 49% stake in RwandAir.

In April 2019, Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, visited Rwanda to strengthen bilateral relations, following President Kagame’s two-day visit to Qatar in November 2018.

In June 2022, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani returned to Rwanda as a guest of honour at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali.

In February 2024, President Kagame paid a working visit to Qatar, followed by another visit in December 2024 to attend the Qatar Grand Prix, the penultimate race of the Formula 1 season.

Speaking at a press conference in Goma on Thursday, January 30, 2025, Corneille Nangaa, the political head of the AFC/M23 rebel group, dismissed calls to abandon their struggle, insisting they would not back down until their demands were addressed.

“We are in Goma and we will not leave… for as long as the questions for which we took up arms have not been answered,” he told journalists at Serena Hotel Goma.

“We are Congolese. We will continue the march of liberation to Kinshasa. When they ask us to retreat, where do they want us to go? We are not going anywhere,” he added.

M23 captured Goma, the capital and largest city of North Kivu Province in eastern Congo, early this week after days of intense battles with the Congolese army, allied forces, and militia groups. The rebels seized the city following the rapid capture of strategic towns, including Masisi and Sake, in recent weeks.

The group is fighting against the systematic persecution of Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese in the region, a situation that has persisted for decades.

Accusing the Congolese administration of poor governance, Nangaa stated that the rebel alliance, AFC, had established a team tasked with reviving the troubled region’s socioeconomic life, as well as overseeing humanitarian, financial, and infrastructure development.

Nangaa pledged that the group would restore water and electricity in Goma within 48 hours. Residents have been struggling with shortages of these essential services since the city’s capture. The government cut off services as the rebels advanced earlier this week.

He urged residents who had fled their homes to return and resume their daily lives.

The press conference was attended by other leaders, including M23 President Bertrand Bisimwa.

Addressing journalists, Bisimwa dismissed claims that the rebels are being facilitated by the government of Rwanda, calling the allegations baseless propaganda by DRC leaders who are unwilling to take responsibility for the country’s problems.

He maintained that Rwanda, like other progressive countries, was justified in calling out the wrongdoings being perpetrated on the citizens by the Congolese administration in the neighbouring country.

The SADC secretariat said in a statement on Wednesday that the extraordinary meeting, to be chaired by SADC Chairperson and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, will be preceded by meetings of the SADC Standing Committee of Senior Officials and the SADC Council of Ministers.

The regional economic community comprises 16 member states, including the DRC. The other members are Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia.

The extraordinary summit comes at a time when SADC soldiers on a mission in the DRC have sustained several casualties, including 13 from South Africa alone in the past week, as they helped the Congolese army combat the M23’s advance toward the city of Goma, which eventually fell to the rebels on Monday.

SAMIDRC, comprising South African, Tanzanian, and Malawian troops, was deployed in the country in December 2023 with a robust mandate to defeat M23 and other rebel groups.

In November 2024, SADC extended the mandate of its mission in the DRC by one year amid continued fighting between the Congolese army and the M23 group which is fighting against a systematic persecution of the Tutsi minority community.

The meeting also comes a day after leaders from the East African Community (EAC) convened a similar summit on Wednesday night. They urged the government of the DRC to engage directly with M23 rebels and other armed groups in an effort to resolve the escalating crisis in the country’s east.

In a post-summit statement, the leaders emphasized that a peaceful settlement is the only viable solution to the ongoing crisis.

“The summit called for a peaceful settlement of the conflicts and strongly urged the government of the DRC to directly engage with all stakeholders, including the M23 and other armed groups that have grievances,” the statement read.

Notably absent from the summit was DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, who has previously resisted direct negotiations with M23, labeling them a terrorist group. His absence has raised concerns about Kinshasa’s willingness to embrace dialogue, even as pressure mounts for a political resolution to the conflict.

Beyond the push for dialogue, the summit also demanded an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access to affected populations.

Acknowledging SADC’s role, the EAC summit proposed a joint EAC-SADC meeting to coordinate responses.

“The summit decided on a joint EAC-SADC summit to deliberate on the way forward and mandated the chairperson to consult with the chairperson of SADC on the urgent convening of the same in the next few days,” the leaders resolved.

Kenya’s President William Ruto, who also serves as the EAC Chairperson, confirmed the summit on Monday during a high-level retreat on African Union (AU) institutional reforms.

“We have agreed under the framework of the East African Community to convene an urgent extraordinary meeting and summit on the situation in Eastern DRC on Wednesday,” said President Ruto, who also serves as the EAC Chairperson.

“The situation in Eastern DRC now demands our collective focus. And as the chair of the East African Community, I will be convening this meeting.”

The crisis in Eastern DRC has persisted for decades, marked by conflicts involving armed groups, regional interventions, and humanitarian challenges, including the deaths and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.

In an escalation of the conflict, M23 rebels have in recent weeks captured key towns in the eastern region in renewed fights with the Congolese army and a coalition of armed groups including FDLR, a genocidal force linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

Goma, the capital and largest city of the North Kivu Province, fell under the control of M23 fighters on Monday, prompting concerns from various quarters on the security situation in the eastern Congo.

In his address to the media, President Ruto termed the situation in the volatile regions “very complicated”.

“This is a situation that has festered for 30, 40 years. We’ve had a UN peacekeeping mission there for the last 20 years. We’ve had forces from the East African Community in and out. We’ve had forces from SADC in and maybe out,” he stated.

M23 asserts that its fight is centred on defending the Tutsi minority in eastern DRC, who have faced decades of marginalization and persecution. Peace processes proposed to mediate the dispute in Luanda, Angola, and Nairobi, Kenya, have previously faced challenges, as the Congolese government opposes the inclusion of the group in the talks.

President Ruto emphasized that a military solution is not viable, advocating instead for dialogue and engagement with all stakeholders to find the root cause of the problem.

“Engagement, dialogue, consultations is the only viable way out of the situation in DRC,” he said. “A direct engagement with M23 and all the other stakeholders in the theatre in Eastern DRC is a necessity.”

He confirmed that the summit will bring together regional leaders, including DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, both of whom have confirmed their attendance. The two leaders differ sharply on the root causes of the crisis that has led to tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

The Kenyan Head of State stressed that the ongoing crisis in Eastern DRC and several other parts of the continent has significant implications for regional stability and development.

“Without and unless we deal with the conflicts in our continent, it will become almost impossible to undertake any meaningful investment or development or economic activity in our continent,” President Ruto stated during the retreat.

He emphasized the need for Africa to rethink its approach to peace and security, noting, “Our response has been uncoordinated, under-resourced, and not very well planned.”

The retreat proposed the establishment of a high-level panel to strengthen the continent’s conflict response and financing mechanisms.

As the region prepares for Wednesday’s summit, hopes are high that the engagement will pave the way for meaningful dialogue and actionable strategies to resolve the long-standing crisis in Eastern DRC.