Wang Xuekun, the Chinese ambassador to Rwanda has spoken about the never-ending conflict in eastern DR Congo, pointing out that his country supports the Nairobi and Luanda peace processes.
Since May 2022, renewed fighting erupted between a Congolese government coalition and the M23 rebel group in eastern DR Congo. In a press conference, in Kigali, on Tuesday, February 5, the Chinese envoy talked about the developments in eastern DR Congo. He noted that China supports the AU’s efforts towards peace through the Nairobi and Luanda processes.
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"We see many regional blocs and the AU have made efforts to peacefully settle this dispute. China will really welcome and support the Luanda and Nairobi peace process proposed by the African regional blocs and the AU,” he said.
The resurgence of the M23 rebellion overshadowed the presence of more than 200 armed groups in eastern DR Congo, including FDLR, a genocidal militia group founded by the former Rwandan government forces and militia that committed the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Under the arrangement of the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes, the leaders of DR Congo, Rwanda and some African countries met in the past to try to settle the dispute, but until now, not much has been achieved. Instead of war or military confrontation, the Luanda and Nairobi processes sought to find a political end to the conflict.
The November 23, 2022, Summit in Angola’s capital, Luanda, on the security crisis in eastern DR Congo ordered the FDLR to disarm immediately and embark on an "unconditional repatriation,” The summit set November 30, 2022 as the deadline for FDLR to unconditionally disarm and be repatriated to Rwanda but the deadline lapsed without the group disarming.
Kigali’s concerns about the issue of the integration of FDLR militia into the Congolese army have fallen on deaf ears. The Rwandan government has, for years, called on the Congolese government to end the collaboration with the FDLR, which has launched attacks on Rwandan territory over the past two decades.
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In early 2023, the EAC deployed a regional force (EACRF) to eastern DR Congo. Despite the fact that the development led to a ceasefire from March to September 2023, the Congolese government later expelled the EAC regional force an replaced it with a SADC mission. The southern African regional bloc’s regional force, known as SAMIDRC, was deployed in December 2023 and has troops from South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania.
According to Kigali, DR Congo’s refusal to renew the mandate of the EAC regional force undermined efforts to bring peace to the country’s troubled east.
In February, the Rwandan government asked the United Nations to reconsider its intended support to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) military mission in conflict-ridden eastern DR Congo, saying the decision would be based on the "wrong premises” and could be in favour of forces set against Rwanda's security.
Kigali noted that the SADC mission was "not a neutral” force in the conflict and that its mission is to support the Congolese government's belligerent posture, "which bears the potential for further escalation of the conflict and increased tensions in the region.”
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Neighbouring Burundi also deployed thousands of soldiers to bolster the Congolese army in the conflict.
By associating itself with and supporting a Congolese army coalition comprising SAMIDRC, Burundian forces and the genocidal FDLR, Kigali has warned that the UN is acting on wrong premises and risks lending a hand to a coalition of forces whose sole objective is to uproot Congolese Tutsi in eastern DR Congo and which has declared its intention to destabilize Rwanda.
Talking about various world conflicts in general, Xuekun said that China has proposed three global initiatives to address global challenges.
"As China, we believe every country should follow their fundamental principles of the UN charter and we encourage all countries to settle dispute and conflict through peaceful consultations,” he noted.
"We stick to the principals of no interference yet we actively participate in the solution to regional issues, and we support and encourage all countries in the region to solve this conflict, through peaceful dialogue and consultation.”