Rwandan President Paul Kagame has expressed cautious optimism regarding a United States-brokered peace deal with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), emphasizing that the agreement’s success hinges on the goodwill of all parties involved.
Speaking at a news conference in Kigali, Kagame stated that Rwanda remains committed to the agreement but questioned whether Kinshasa would uphold its part of the deal.
The peace deal, signed last week, calls for Rwandan troops to withdraw from eastern DRC within 90 days. However, Kagame warned that if the DRC plays “tricks” and takes Rwanda “back to the problem,” Kigali will respond accordingly. “If the side that we are working with plays tricks and takes us back to the problem, then we deal with the problem like we have been dealing with it,” Kagame said, underscoring the complexities and challenges inherent in the peace process.
Kagame’s remarks come against the backdrop of intense fighting in the region, with M23 rebels seizing major towns. The United Nations has accused Rwanda of backing the group with thousands of troops, an allegation Kigali denies. Rwanda insists its military presence in eastern DRC is a response to threats from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
The DRC Foreign Minister, Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, emphasized that the peace agreement is “only a beginning; the real work starts now.” She highlighted the need for Rwandan troops to leave North Kivu and South Kivu provinces in three stages while Congolese and international partners work to neutralize the FDLR.
Kagame expressed gratitude to the Trump administration for its efforts in brokering the peace deal. “We are grateful to the Trump administration for its efforts,” he said. “If it doesn’t work, they aren’t the ones to blame.” The Congolese government and M23 representatives have agreed to return to Qatar for further discussions aimed at ending the conflict.
The humanitarian situation in eastern DRC remains dire, with 7 million people displaced and the UN describing the crisis as “one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth.” Meanwhile, Washington has proposed a separate investment plan that could allow Western companies to tap into the region’s rich deposits of tantalum, copper, and gold – resources that have long fueled violence in eastern DRC.
In a lighter vein, Kagame addressed speculation about his health, joking, “Some of my personal health problems might originate from managing you people.” He appeared in good health throughout the briefing, dismissing rumors of serious illness.