Paul Kagame cautions to US brokered contracts, but says success relies on goodwill from fighting parties.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame has carefully welcomed the US-brokered peace agreement with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), but suggests that Kigali will retaliate if provoked.
At a press conference in Kigali on Friday, Kagame said Rwanda continued to commit to the contract but questioned whether Kinshasa would support some of the deal.
“If the person we’re working on is playing tricks and taking us to the problem, we’ll deal with the problem like we’re dealing with it,” Kagame said.
The agreement, supported by US President Donald Trump’s administration, was signed last week, calling for Rwandan troops to withdraw from the eastern DRC within 90 days.
The area has seen a fierce battle this year, when the M23 rebels seized major towns. The UN accused Rwanda of supporting thousands of troops to the group. Kigali denies it.
The peace agreement is considered a turning point, but analysts don’t think it will soon end the battle, as the M23, the major warlike in the conflict, says the agreement will not apply.
If the transaction fails, we “do not blame”
Rwanda argues that military presence in the eastern DRC is a response to a threat from the Democrat Army for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group consisting of ethnic HUTU fighters associated with the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Kagame said Kinshasa must act to dismantle the FDLR for the transaction to be successful.
“We are grateful for the efforts of the Trump administration,” he said. “If that doesn’t work, they’re not responsible.”
There was no official response from Kinshasa. Kinshasa has constantly accused Rwanda of promoting conflict.
The Rwandan-backed M23 is the most prominent armed group in the conflict in the Eastern DRC, and its major advance left the body on the streets earlier this year. With seven million people evacuated to the DRC, the UN calls it “one of the most prolonged, complicated, and serious humanitarian crises on the planet.”
M23, although part of other peace negotiations, was not involved in efforts through the US. On Thursday, representatives of the Congolese government and M23 agreed to return to Qatar for further discussion aimed at ending the conflict.
Meanwhile, Washington proposed another investment plan that would allow Western companies to take advantage of the rich sediment of the Tantalum, copper and gold regions.
Kagame’s appearance on Friday marked his first public appearance since June 6th, prompting speculation in his absence about his health. Foreign dissidents, including former adviser David Himbara, have argued that the president was seriously offensive.
Kagame jokingly dismissed the rumor. “Some of my personal health issues may be due to managing your people,” he said with a laugh.
“What is the problem? What do people want me to explain? Am I not a human?” he added. The president appeared healthy throughout the briefing.
