President Paul Kagame and European Council President António Costa held discussions on Wednesday, February 5, focusing on the ongoing crisis in DR Congo and Rwanda-EU cooperation. Through his post on his official X account, Kagame said he had a “fruitful conversation” with Costa, during which they discussed the situation in DR Congo and agreed on the need for effective de-escalation and a resolution to the conflict that prioritizes political dialogue and ensures lasting peace.” Had a fruitful conversation with President of the EU Council António Costa @eucopresident, where we discussed the situation in DRC and agreed on the need for effective de-escalation and a resolution to the conflict that prioritizes political dialogue and ensures lasting peace.... — Paul Kagame (@PaulKagame) February 5, 2025 Kagame stressed the importance of all involved parties being “responsible and level-headed, even with the complexity of the problem.” Beyond the DR Congo crisis, Kagame highlighted that they “also exchanged on the ongoing strong cooperation between the European Union and Rwanda across key sectors.” ALSO READ: European Union has invested over €900m in Rwanda – Von der Leyen The discussions come amid growing regional and international efforts to address the security situation in eastern DRC, where tensions continue to rise. A joint EAC-SADC summit on the eastern DR Congo crisis is scheduled for February 8, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This follows heightened regional tensions after M23 rebels captured Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, on January 27. Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of supporting M23, an allegation Rwanda has repeatedly denied. Rwanda, in turn, accuses DR Congo of harbouring, arming, and training the genocidal FDLR militia in an effort to destabilize Rwandan security and overthrow its government, as Congolese president Felix Tshisekedi has publicly declared.
