Rwanda Absent as DRC Hosts Great Lakes Summit Amid Ongoing Tensions

Kinshasa, DRC - Rwanda was notably absent from the Great Lakes Region Heads of State Summit hosted by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), despite being a member of the regional bloc. The meeting, scheduled for November 15, 2025, is expected to focus heavily on the deteriorating security situation in eastern DRC.

A senior Rwandan official cited two main reasons for Kigali’s absence: “security issues are not in order” and President Paul Kagame did not receive a direct invitation from his Congolese counterpart, President Félix Tshisekedi. Reports indicate that the only communication sent to Rwanda came through a letter from the DRC Embassy in Ethiopia, which Kigali did not consider an official invitation.

The summit brought together four of the nine heads of state from the Great Lakes Region:

Evariste Ndayishimiye (Burundi) alongside the host, President Félix Tshisekedi.

Rwanda’s absence underscores the deep strain in relations between the two neighbors, whose ties have sharply deteriorated over allegations of mutual support to armed groups operating around the eastern DRC.

The Great Lakes Region bloc is part of the regional mediation mechanism tasked with monitoring the ceasefire agreement signed in October 2025 between the DRC government and the AFC/M23 coalition during negotiations held in Doha.

However, the truce has never taken hold. The FARDC has continued conducting military operations-including the use of drones and heavy artillery-in areas controlled by the AFC/M23 and communities of the Banyamulenge, despite regional and international calls for restraint.

The continued clashes have raised concerns that the absence of a key regional player like Rwanda could further undermine efforts to stabilize eastern DRC, as diplomatic channels between Kigali and Kinshasa remain strained.