Tshisekedi Says War Spending Diverts Funds from Development

Brussels, Belgium - Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi has admitted that significant national resources that could have been directed toward public welfare, infrastructure, and agriculture have instead been diverted to sustain the ongoing war against the AFC/M23 coalition in the country’s east.

Speaking to members of the Congolese diaspora in Belgium on the sidelines of the EU-Africa Global Gateway Forum, President Tshisekedi said the conflict has drained public finances and slowed national development.

“We want peace. Because I can tell you this war is demanding a lot from us. We are refraining from giving our people many things because we have to strengthen the military and security forces,” he said, emphasizing that funds earmarked for social programs and infrastructure are being redirected to the army.

The President added that if peace could be achieved, he would gladly channel defense spending toward improving citizens’ lives. However, he insisted that he would only engage in talks with those who first condemn Rwanda, which he again accused of backing the M23 rebels - an allegation Rwanda denies.

According to reports cited by Africa Intelligence, Congo’s defense budget has surged from $459 million in 2021 to $1 billion in 2023, with a similar figure projected for 2024. From January to April 2025 alone, military expenditures reached $1 billion, driven by salary hikes for soldiers and the acquisition of new weapons systems, including tanks, Sukhoi-25 fighter jets, and Chinese-made CH-4 drones.

Sources close to the M23 claim that some of these weapons, seized during clashes in Goma, were initially intended for operations against Rwanda.

Diplomatic observers note that Tshisekedi’s approach to peace talks - both the U.S.-led mediation with Rwanda and the Qatar-facilitated negotiations with M23 - has been marked by reversals, undermining progress toward a ceasefire. Rebel leaders have repeatedly accused Kinshasa of violating truce agreements and continuing military operations.

The President’s government has also come under criticism for allegedly spending heavily on foreign lobbying campaigns to seek sanctions against Rwanda, as well as disengaging from regional economic frameworks, including the Regional Economic Integration Fund (REIF) approved by Congolese delegates in Washington on October 3, 2025.