The foreign minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, has accused Rwanda of illegally occupying parts of the country and attempting to orchestrate a regime change. Speaking to the BBC, Wagner linked this to decades of impunity and the international community’s failure to hold Rwandan President Paul Kagame accountable for alleged violations of international law.
These remarks come amid heightened tensions following the capture of Goma, a key city in eastern DR Congo, by M23 rebels, who are believed to be backed by Rwanda. The rebels have threatened to march towards the capital, Kinshasa. Rwanda’s government spokeswoman, Yolande Makolo, denied the allegations, asserting that Rwanda’s military presence was solely to prevent the conflict from spilling over its borders.
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In response to these developments, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will hold a special meeting in Zimbabwe on Friday to address the ongoing crisis. The bloc has deployed peacekeeping troops, mainly from South Africa, to combat armed groups like M23 and bring stability to the region. However, SADC forces have faced heavy losses, with 16 soldiers killed in the past week during clashes with M23 rebels near Goma.
Rwanda’s President Kagame has openly criticised SADC’s involvement, claiming the regional force has no role in the conflict. Meanwhile, Makolo maintained that Rwanda’s military actions were in response to “repeated violations” and cross-border attacks, including fatalities caused by shelling from DR Congo.
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