The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, has said that the main barrier to lasting peace in eastern DR Congo is the Congolese government’s lack of political will to implement the signed agreements. Nduhungirehe said this on Friday, February 6, during the second day of the National Umushyikirano Council. ALSO READ: DR Congo must own up, stop blaming Rwanda - Kagame “When you read newspapers, there is a lot of manipulation and misinformation. People deliberately twist facts, especially foreigners. Even some of our partners do not tell the truth, yet we know exactly how the problems are,” he said. Nduhungirehe outlined a series of failed peace efforts, including the East African Community (EAC) Nairobi peace process, which aimed to resolve the conflict between the Congolese government and hundreds of armed groups, including the AFC/M23. The process collapsed when the President of DR Congo stopped the talks and expelled the AFC/M23 without consulting EAC, which had initiated the dialogue, he said. In addition, EAC deployed a regional force, and there was a ceasefire that was being respected. By 2023, the AFC/M23 rebels had withdrawn from many areas, up to 80% of the territory they had captured, Nduhungirehe said, noting that Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi later then expelled the regional force and invited SADC, bringing the Nairobi process to an end. Similarly, the Luanda peace process failed in December 2024 after the Congolese government refused to engage the rebels in peace talks. ALSO READ: Nduhungirehe details Tshisekedi’s record of dishonouring agreements “The Luanda talks took place in 2024. Nearly everything had been agreed on, except for one point. But the Congolese government later changed its position and said it no longer wanted to engage in dialogue with AFC/M23. That is how the Luanda process ended,” he added. Political will, the real problem “The biggest problem is not the agreements signed. The real problem is the lack of political will [to implement them],” minister Nduhungirehe said. He noted that Presidents Kagame and Tshisekedi signed the Washington Accords December 4, 2025. Shortly after that, the city of Uvira was captured, and statements were made accusing Rwanda and AFC/M23 of violating the agreement,” he added. He explained that despite signing the agreement, Kinshasa's attacks continued, including air strikes, drone attacks, and the use of mercenaries. Burundian forces also assisted the Congolese government in targeting the Banyamulenge, including by imposing a blockade to prevent civilians from accessing markets. ALSO READ: South Kivu: AFC/M23 warns of “imminent genocide” against Banyamulenge civilians “We have not hesitated to tell the international community about these issues. We remind them that a peace agreement is an agreement between two sides, not just one side. The party that violated the agreement is the one that continued launching attacks.” Rwanda fully supports all signed agreements and their implementation, the minister said. These agreements cover security, eliminating the Kinshasa-backed FDLR militia, economic cooperation, and regional integration. Nduhungirehe also emphasised ongoing mediation in Doha, which has been harmonised with the efforts by African Union, with Togo's leader Faure Gnassingbe as the AU-designated mediator and a panel of six facilitators. “What is important as this year begins is the African-led mediation process. This mediation started in Africa, and we want it to remain African-led. Our wish is that this African mediation puts more effort into ensuring that the Washington and Doha agreements are implemented,” he said.
