The White House Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, held urgent discussions with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on Sunday concerning the security crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Haines travelled to Kigali on November 19th to meet with Kagame over rising instability in eastern Congo fueled by a resurgence of the M23 rebel faction in North Kivu province, bordering Rwanda.
The following day, she flew to Kinshasa for talks with President Tshisekedi focused on quelling the conflict.
In a statement, Haines emphasised US worries that the long-running tensions could spark wider regional turmoil if unrest grows unchecked. She discussed options for cooperation between Congolese, Rwandan, and Ugandan security forces to restrain rebel groups and establish stability for civilians displaced by
“Acknowledging the long history of conflict in this region, Presidents Kagame and Tshisekedi plan to take specific steps to reduce current tensions by addressing the respective security concerns of both countries,” the statement reads.
“The steps are drawn from previous arrangements reached with the support of neighbours under the Luanda and Nairobi processes.”
Haines was joined by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee, Special Assistant to the President and National Security Council Senior Director for African Affairs Judd Devermont.
The White House added: “The U.S. government welcomes, and intends to monitor, these DRC and Rwandan steps towards de-escalation and plans to support diplomatic and intelligence engagements between both countries to foster greater security and prosperity for the Congolese and Rwandan peoples.”
fighting.
The high-level meetings mark increased US urgency to prevent further bloodshed in eastern Congo’s intractable conflicts. Haines stressed that Washington is prepared to support African-led initiatives and resolutions emerging from recent AU and regional bloc crisis meetings on the issue.
In a post on X, The Rwandan Presidency said the discussions focused on ways to de-escalate tensions and address the root causes of the insecurity in eastern DR Congo. Photo: Village Urugwiro.
Both Kagame and Tshisekedi signaled a willingness to pursue negotiated peace efforts led by the Angolan government. They warned of meddling by external actors, stirring unrest to pursue political and economic objectives amidst the chaos.
DR Congo accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels in the country’s east – allegations Kigali dismisses, saying the rebellion is a Congolese issue.
Rwanda on the other hand, accuses the Congolese army of cooperating with the genocidal FDLR militia, which threatens its security.
The FDLR was created by remnants of Interahamwe militia and the former Rwandan army responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Congolese warplanes have violated Rwanda’s airspace at least three times between November 2022 and January 2023, in addition to rocket shells on Rwandan territory, which injured civilians.
On October 23, a Rwandan citizen was injured by a stray bullet from clashes between armed groups allied with the DR Congo army.
The Rwandan government urges Kinshasa to end support to the UN-sanctioned terrorist group FDLR.
The militia is accused of spreading hate speech and violence against the Congolese Tutsi communities.
Eastern DR Congo has been volatile for nearly 30 years and remains home to more than 130 armed groups.
