Rwandan President Paul Kagame has called for addressing the root causes of the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), arguing that the decades-long crisis cannot be resolved by simply blaming Rwanda or imposing repeated sanctions.
Speaking during a press conference on Monday in the Rwandan capital Kigali, Kagame said the conflict has deep historical and political roots involving the DRC, Rwanda, neighbouring countries, and the international community.
“The start of this conflict is not by Rwanda, and then Rwanda is made to own the origin of the problem. Rwanda’s problem has always been the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR),” Kagame said.
He highlighted the continued presence of the FDLR in eastern DRC as a major concern, noting that the failure to address the FDLR problem has repeatedly contributed to Rwanda’s involvement in the conflict.
Kagame questioned the effectiveness of repeated international interventions, including sanctions, saying that such measures have not addressed what he described as the root causes of the conflict.
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He maintained that lasting peace requires understanding the origins of the crisis, addressing the concerns of affected communities, and dealing with armed groups operating in the region.
Since January 2025, the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group has intensified offensives in the eastern DRC provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu. The DRC accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels, an allegation Kigali denies.
The DRC government and the M23 rebel group agreed on a roadmap for peace negotiations, setting out sequenced steps and timelines for further talks, according to a joint statement issued on Saturday.
- Rwandan President Paul Kagame called for addressing the root causes of the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during a press conference in Kigali.
- Kagame stated that the conflict involves deep historical and political issues with the DRC, Rwanda, neighbouring countries, and the international community, and it is not solely Rwanda's responsibility.
- He pointed to the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) as a major concern and highlighted their continued presence in eastern DRC as contributing to Rwanda's involvement in the conflict.
- Kagame criticized repeated international sanctions and interventions, claiming they have not resolved the underlying causes of the conflict.
- Since January 2025, the M23 rebel group has intensified offensives in eastern DRC, with the DRC accusing Rwanda of supporting the rebels, which Rwanda denies, and both parties recently agreed on a roadmap for peace negotiations.
