The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) has identified Rwanda as an aggressor towards the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). During its 9th session, held in Kinshasa, the DRC’s capital, the Congolese Minister of Regional Integration announced that the conference officially recognised Rwanda as the aggressor against the DRC.
During a press briefing in Kinshasa on Nov. 17, the Congolese minister said the member states of the ICGLR have urged Rwanda to withdraw its troops from Congolese territory immediately, in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2773.
“A considerable advance towards an international recognition of the tragic reality that our populations are victims. In effect, in their final declaration, the heads of state and government meeting in Kinshasa have called, (I quote) ‘demand the withdrawal without delay from Congolese territory of the aggressor nations against the Democratic Republic of Congo in conformity with Resolution 2773 of the United Nations Security Council, as well as condemned the pursuit of hostilities by the M23 and the Allies Democratic Forces (ADF)’,” the minister said.
“This declaration does not refer to an aggressor nation, but to aggressor nations. This nation is clearly identified because it has already been cited in Resolution 2773. In point 4 of the resolution, the Security Council demands that the Rwandan defence forces stop supporting M23 and withdraw from DR Congo territory without preconditions immediately.”
For the members of the Congolese government, the recognition of Rwanda as the aggressor nation by the ICGLR constitutes one of the principal advances of the 9th summit held in Kinshasa.
“The added value of the final declaration of the 9th ordinary summit of the ICGLR consists in the precision that this country, Rwanda, to be as clear as possible, is officially and very explicitly recognised as aggressor of the DR Congo,” the minister added.
The summit was held amid persistent tension between the DR Congo and Rwanda, despite announced diplomatic advances. The contrast between the engagements outlined in the accords and the reality on the ground is preoccupying several actors, who are calling for honesty, goodwill, and the rapid implementation of engagements stemming from the various diplomatic initiatives. Considered the sponsor of the M23/AFC rebellion due to its multifaceted support, the Rwanda of Paul Kagame is actually at odds with Kinshasa and was the major absentee at the ICGLR meeting.
However, Olivier Nduhungirehe, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, has declared the resolutions of the Kinshasa meeting null and void. The Rwanda government had denied supporting the M23 fighters, but locals and authorities in the DRC have insisted that the country has been actively backing the rebels.
Following the capture of Goma and Bukavu by the M23/AFC and the failure of the Luanda process, the Washington Accord and the Doha process have henceforth become two complementary aspects of diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict between the DR Congo and Rwanda, as well as against armed groups such as M23.
The Washington Accord, signed under American mediation, fixed a bilateral framework between Kinshasa and Kigali. On the other hand, the Doha peace talks focus on the internal dimensions of the conflict, specifically the restoration of state authority and the reintegration of armed groups.
Despite these two diplomatic initiatives, several states and international organisations, including the European Union, have been pleading for increased involvement of regional organisations, and in general, African nations, in solving the conflict between the DR Congo and Rwanda, which is behind the deterioration of the security situation in the Eastern DR Congo.
The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) recognized Rwanda as an aggressor towards the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during its 9th session in Kinshasa.
The member states called for the immediate withdrawal of Rwandan troops from DRC territory per UN Security Council Resolution 2773. This acknowledgment includes Rwanda’s support for rebel groups like the M23, exacerbating tensions between the two nations.
Rwanda has rejected the ICGLR’s resolutions, maintaining a denial of backing M23 rebels. Meanwhile, diplomatic initiatives such as the Washington Accord and Doha process aim to resolve the conflict by establishing frameworks for bilateral cooperation and addressing internal conflict dimensions. However, calls continue for more substantial regional and African involvement to resolve the ongoing security issues in Eastern DRC.