President Paul Kagame and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, discussed the security situation in the eastern part of DR Congo on Thursday, January 23, during the Rwandan leader's official visit to the Middle Eastern country. The conflict between DR Congo and the M23 rebels has affected bilateral relations between Rwanda and DR Congo, the latter accusing its neighbour of supporting the insurgents. Rwanda dismisses the allegations and pointy to its security concerns resulting from the collaboration between the Congolese army and the FDLR, a militia linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. ALSO READ: Panic spreads in Goma as M23 rebels threaten to march on city Speaking to the media in the capital Ankara, President Erdoğan said that Türkiye is ready to provide any support needed to resolve the “dispute between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, should both parties desire it.” Erdoğan’s remarks come amidst intense fighting between the M23 rebels and the Congolese army, which has forced hundreds of Congolese citizens to flee from their homes. The M23 rebels on Thursday threatened to march on Goma, a major city in eastern DR Congo. “We, as Türkiye, are ready to provide any support necessary to resolve this issue which will contribute to stability and peace in the Great Lakes Region, should both parties wish for it,” Erdoğan said. The M23 rebels have waged an insurgency in eastern Congo since late 2021. 'Rwanda dedicated to global peace' In his address, President Paul Kagame commended Türkiye for its mediation efforts in various conflicts and proposed that it could play a role in addressing the instability in the region concerning the DR Congo. Rwanda and Türkiye are both dedicated to global peace and security. The uncertain global security environment shows us that we must tackle instability ourselves instead of outsourcing that responsibility. This is something we as Rwandans had to learn the hard way.” Kagame also pointed out that Rwanda was happy to have Turkey as a partner of choice, given both countries' experiences in conflict resolution.
