DRC-Rwanda: Tshisekedi calls for dialogue while Kigali denounces "political theatre"

Kinshasa, October 9, 2025 - Speaking at the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi made a solemn appeal to his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame to turn the page on tensions in the Great Lakes region. He called on Kigali to order an end to M23 hostilities and temporarily suspended his call for sanctions, stating that the DRC "wants real peace, the kind that leads to stability and development." In response, Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe described the initiative as "political theatre", accusing Tshisekedi of hijacking a cooperation forum and turning it into a platform for attacks, violating the peace agreements signed in Washington and supporting militias hostile to the Banyamulenge. According to Kigali, the Congolese president is seeking to influence domestic public opinion, whereas the issue of the DRC should be addressed in other regional negotiating forums.

However, President Félix Tshisekedi's olive branch to his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame has provoked an outcry among the Congolese opposition, which sees it as an inconsistent and short-sighted move. Claudel André Lubaya, national deputy and president of the UDA-Originel, criticised the head of state's "diplomatic versatility", while Olivier Kamitatu, former president of the National Assembly and spokesperson for Moïse Katumbi, described his comments as "empty words" disconnected from the realities of the country. For his part, Prince Epenge, spokesperson for the Lamuka coalition, believes that Tshisekedi should first seek "peace among the brave" with the Congolese themselves before reaching out to Kigali.