Israel expresses support for dialogue in Great Lakes region
Thursday, January 30, 2025
Israel’s Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa'ar, said that his country supports dialogue to solve the crisis in eastern DR Congo on Thursday, January 30. Courtesy

Israel’s Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa'ar, on Thursday, January 30, said the Middle East country supports dialogue to solve the crisis in eastern DR Congo.

He made the statement through a post on his X page, after having a telephone call discussion with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe.

Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation posted on its X page that the two ministers discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional security.

"Minister Nduhungirehe also briefed his counterpart on the root causes of the ongoing crisis in the Great Lakes region - especially the presence of the FDLR genocidal militia, as well as the proposed path to peace,” the statement reads in part.

Sa'ar said he discussed with Nduhungirehe "the extensive cooperation between our nations and I briefed him on issues in the Middle East.

"I expressed our support for the continuation of dialogue that will bring peace to the Great Lakes region,” Sa'ar said.

Their discussions come amid mounting tension between M23 rebel group and DR Congo government, after the former claimed total capture of Goma – a city that is home to two million people and a hub for international military and humanitarian interventions in the country’s conflict-ridden eastern region.

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DR Congo government alleges that Rwanda backs the rebel group, which the latter denies.

According to the Rwanda government, M23 rebel group has been fighting for the rights of the Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese who are persecuted by the DR Congo government.