DR Congo government officials have become experts at shifting blame instead of taking responsibility for governance and security on their territory, Yolande Makolo, the Rwanda government spokesperson, has said. Speaking to RT, formerly Russia Today, Makolo dismissed allegations pinning Rwanda to the decades-long conflict in the eastern DR Congo, pointing out that “Rwanda wants peace more than anyone else in the region.” ALSO READ: Thabo Mbeki: Implementing Sun City Agreement, disarming FDLR only way to solve DR Congo crisis “What Rwanda is doing right now is ensuring that our borders are defended and that our people are safe,” she said. Makolo reiterated the need for a political process led by the African Union and regional leaders, emphasizing that there is no military solution to the conflict. ALSO READ: Protestors in Goma want Burundi, SADC forces out When questioned about the current situation at the Rubavu border district, some 15 kilometers from Goma, Makolo maintained that Rwandan security personnel are deployed there to “ensure that nothing comes across.” The recent escalation also saw Congolese government forces and their coalition allies, including the genocidal FDLR militia linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, shell the Rwandan border city of Rubavu, killing at least 16 people and injuring hundreds of others, Makolo noted. The DR Congo government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of providing support to M23 rebels – a claim Kigali has consistently denied. ALSO READ: Corneille Nangaa on M23 capture of Goma, FDLR and march to Kinshasa Makolo spoke to the accusations, reiterating that the Kinshasa regime must solve internal conflicts. She also highlighted Rwanda’s role in hosting over 100,000 Congolese refugees who have fled to Rwanda in pursuit of safety. Reacting to the international community’s response to the crisis, Makolo pointed out the ineffectiveness of the UN’s MONUSCO peacekeeping mission, which has been present in the DRC for over two decades. “They have achieved nothing,” she stated, calling on international actors to better understand the root causes of the conflict and take appropriate action to eliminate security threats in the region. ALSO READ: M23 rebels declare unilateral ceasefire Rwanda’s key demands Just two days before East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders meet in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to discuss the way forward on the DR Congo conflict, Makolo expressed hope, noting that “We (Rwanda) are open to talking to anybody interested in finding a political solution to this conflict including the President of the DR Congo.” She was quick to add; “ If it is sincere and serious.” Saturday’s meeting will mark the first joint summit since the escalation of the conflict. The two blocs have, in the past two years, gone separate ways in their approach to the DR Congo conflict. “We will be going to the joint summit. We are looking forward to this, and we think it's an opportunity to get back on track and to finally have a solution for the people of this region.” There have been heightened regional tensions after M23 rebels captured Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, on January 27. According to Makolo, Rwanda needs the FDLR- a genocidal militia formed by remnants of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, neutralized. The UN-sanctioned group has publicly voiced its sinister plan of toppling the Rwandan government. However, according to Makolo, what is happening now is the opposite. She said that the DR Congo government is financing and fighting alongside the FDLR, making the militia “an even greater threat to Rwanda.” “We want them neutralized. This is what the Luanda peace was all about.” Equally important, she stressed, is the need for Congolese Tutsi refugees to be repatriated back to their country safe from persecution, among other violent acts being propagated by the DR Congo government. The M23 took control of Goma on January 27, after fighting the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) coalition which comprises forces from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Burundian forces, and armed groups such as the genocidal FDLR and Wazalendo as well as European mercenaries. Several reports indicate that there is renewed fighting in South Kivu, one day after M23 announced a unilateral ceasefire. The reports say that the rebels have taken control of Nyabibwe town in Kalehe territory. The Congolese government coalition had not accepted the ceasefire.
