DR Congo's President Tshisekedi asks his Rwandan counterpart to make peace

• 'It is not too late to make it right. I'm using this forum to extend my hand to you, Mr. President, so that we can make peace
• Today, we are the only two capable of stopping this escalation,' Congo president says at EU's Global Gateway Forum
• Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe describes remarks as ‘political theatrics which have become ridiculous,’ accusing Felix Tshisekedi of bringing Congo conflict to wrong forum

KIGALI, Rwanda

The president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, called on his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, on Thursday to end tensions and work together to bring peace and stop the violence in eastern Congo by asking the M23 rebels to halt this escalation that has claimed enough lives.

During the second edition of the European Union's Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, Tshisekedi urged Kagame to "embrace the path of dialogue" and choose "peace above differences."

"It is not too late to make it right. I'm using this forum to extend my hand to you, Mr. President, so that we can make peace. Today, we are the only two capable of stopping this escalation," Tshisekedi said in a speech directed at Kagame, who was also present at the forum.

"And this necessitates that you issue an order to the M23 troops, who are backed by your country, to halt this escalation, which has claimed enough lives. It is time to put an end to this and instead focus on peace and development."

He announced a temporary suspension of his regular calls for sanctions against Rwanda over its alleged role in the conflict in eastern Congo, citing "proof that the DRC is not belligerent. It wants true peace."

Kagame, who had spoken earlier at the same forum, did not respond to the speech.

When contacted for comment, Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe described the remarks as "political theatrics that have become ridiculous," accusing Tshisekedi of bringing the Congo conflict to the wrong forum.

“President Tshisekedi mentioned that only he and President Kagame can end this war. This is not true; he alone can end the war. He can do so first by ending his threats against Rwanda and Kagame, because he has made several public threats to invade Rwanda and bomb Kigali without ever setting foot on the ground,” Nduhungirehe told Anadolu.

The minister added that claiming he has never had a belligerent attitude toward Rwanda is "a lie."

Eastern Congo has been plagued by violence for decades, and the resurgence of the M23 rebel group in 2021 exacerbated the situation.

The rebel group now controls significant territory, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu, which it seized earlier this year.

The UN, Kinshasa, and others accuse neighboring Rwanda of supporting M23, which Kigali denies.

Congo and a coalition of rebel groups, including M23 (AFC/M23), signed a cease-fire agreement in Doha in July, known as the Declaration of Principles.

However, fighting between government forces and M23 rebels continues, with both sides accusing the other of violating the ceasefire.

Nduhungirehe said Tshisekedi could end the conflict in eastern Congo by ceasing army collaboration with the Rwandan FDLR militia and ceasing bombing of AFC/M23 positions in violation of the peace agreement.