Rwanda has called on the international community to ensure that efforts to resolve the crisis in eastern DR Congo are matched by concrete action from Kinshasa, warning that peace initiatives risk failure if they are not backed by accountability and effective implementation.
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Addressing members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Rwanda on Friday, May 29, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, reviewed key diplomatic developments and regional security issues, including the situation in eastern DR Congo and Rwanda’s security cooperation with Mozambique.
On the conflict in eastern DR Congo, Nduhungirehe said Rwanda remains committed to the peace process but stressed that progress will depend on whether all parties fully meet their obligations.
"Rwanda calls on the international community and all partners to engage DR Congo in a constructive manner that produces tangible results in implementing its end of the bargain,” he said.
"Failing to do so would amount to supporting DR Congo’s never-ending military approach. Without even-handed pressure and follow-up, we cannot create the conditions and incentives necessary for lasting peace in the Great Lakes region.”
Representatives of Rwanda and DR Congo met in Washington on April 23 for the fifth session of the Joint Oversight Committee, to assess progress in implementing the US-facilitated peace agreement signed in June 2025.
The agreement provides a framework for easing tensions between the two neighbouring countries, with a focus on addressing the security threat posed by FDLR, the Kinshasa-backed Rwandan genocidal militia founded by perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and the subsequent lifting of Rwanda’s defensive measures.
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Nearly a year after signing the US-facilitated peace agreement, tangible progress remains limited on the ground, with Kinshasa continuing to opt for war, an inclination Rwanda says undermines prospects for a sustainable resolution.
Mozambique cooperation continues
Nduhungirehe also reaffirmed Rwanda’s commitment to its security mission in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province, saying cooperation between the two countries will continue under a direct bilateral arrangement.
"Rwanda decided this year to work exclusively with the Government of Mozambique, which has secured and will continue to secure the necessary funding for the Rwandan Security Forces in Cabo Delgado,” he said.
"Collaboration between the two governments has been successful so far and will continue to remain so in the future.”
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Rwandan security forces were deployed to Cabo Delgado in July 2021 at the request of the Mozambican government to help combat Islamist insurgents that had destabilised the northern province, displaced thousands of civilians and threatened major liquefied natural gas investments.
Since then, the mission has helped restore security in several areas, allowing displaced residents to return home, businesses to reopen and public services to resume.
The improved security environment has enabled international energy companies to restart investments worth an estimated $50 billion in liquefied natural gas projects.