Kagame: Rwanda won't stay silent on DRC conflict
President Kagame dismissed the idea of holding more meetings without concrete action.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame has accused the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of instigating an ethnic conflict and shifting the blame onto Rwanda, insisting that his country cannot remain silent as its security is threatened.
His remarks came after leaders from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) called for a joint ministerial meeting within 30 days to push for peace in eastern DRC.
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The resolution was reached during the high-level summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, co-chaired by President William Ruto and Zimbabwe's Emmerson Mnangagwa on Saturday.
The upcoming ministerial meeting will focus on the Chief of Defence Forces (CDFs) report regarding the ceasefire and cessation of hostilities.
During a separate meeting on Friday, ministers had urged all armed groups to lay down their weapons unconditionally, assigning the CDFs to oversee compliance.
President Kagame, however, dismissed the idea of holding more meetings without concrete action.
"Let us not just have another meeting like the many we have had. We can't go on forever massaging problems," he said.
Heads of State and Government during the joint EAC-SADC Summit at State House, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on February 8, 2025. (Photo: PCS)
This comes amid escalating violence in eastern DRC. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported on Friday that at least 843 people have been killed and 3,082 injured in Goma since the conflict intensified on January 26, 2025.
Stretched health facilities
Medical facilities are overwhelmed, with over 70 health centres in North Kivu affected, some completely destroyed. Exhausted and under-resourced, many health workers are fleeing for safety.
WHO warned that the situation is becoming increasingly dire as medical supplies dwindle and wounded civilians struggle to reach care.
"The sight of bodies left uncared for is distressing. The dead must be identified and buried properly, not just for dignity but for the peace of those they leave behind," the organization stated.
The outbreak of violence is also fueling the spread of disease, with WHO recording nearly 600 suspected cholera cases and 14 deaths in North Kivu between January 1 and 27, 2025.
Kagame accused DRC of allowing the crisis to spiral out of control while ignoring Rwanda's repeated concerns.
"We have been begging DRC and its leaders for a long time, we have shared our issues and asked DRC to address them, and they have refused," he stated.
He described the situation in DRC as an ethnic war that has been brewing for years due to the denial of people's rights, which he said has now led to attacks on Rwanda.
"You must recognise people's rights and take a step and resolve the issue," he urged.
Kagame firmly rejected claims that Rwanda was responsible for the crisis. "This war was started by DRC and not anything from Rwanda. It was just brought and put on our shoulders, and we were told to own it. We can't own it. There is no question about it," he stated.
Meanwhile, the regional leaders' summit also directed the establishment of a technical coordination mechanism at the secretariat level to ensure the implementation of key decisions.
The leaders emphasised the need for continued consultations between the two regional blocs to find a lasting solution.
As humanitarian conditions worsened, Kagame stressed that diplomacy alone would not resolve the crisis unless real action was taken.
"Let us use this meeting in a manner that will put into account all these matters seriously and find a lasting solution," he said.
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