The meeting held in France primarily aimed to encourage the international community to support humanitarian efforts in eastern DRC and the wider region.

It was also intended to promote dialogue and resolve ongoing issues in the region, particularly those related to insecurity, with invited countries including Rwanda, Burundi, and the DRC.

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French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Goma Airport must be reopened to facilitate humanitarian operations for people in need.

However, in a statement released after the French meeting, the AFC/M23 rebel coalition strongly opposed the idea, calling it “inappropriate.”

The coalition said that any decision to reopen Goma Airport “can only come from the ongoing peace negotiations in Doha, mediated by Qatar with the support of the United States and the African Union.”

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It further noted that despite the ongoing talks, the opposing side continues to carry out airstrikes that kill innocent civilians, some of which “have destroyed humanitarian aircraft in Walikale and Minembwe.”

The statement recalled that for several months, the Kinshasa government has closed airspace over areas controlled by AFC/M23, allowing only drones to operate freely for military strikes.

“The international community should not grant legitimacy to a government that disregards ceasefire agreements, prioritizes military solutions to political problems, and continues to endanger civilian lives,” the coalition said.

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The statement added that displaced people have been returning to their homes, and therefore, “there is no urgent humanitarian activity” in the areas liberated by AFC/M23 one of the reasons cited for reopening the airport.

“AFC/M23 urges France not to be misled by certain humanitarian organizations that have enriched themselves under the pretext of helping displaced people in Goma. Moreover, these organizations have also contributed to the survival of armed groups, including the FDLR,” the statement added.

Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, who attended the France meeting on the Congo crisis, said that reopening Goma International Airport would be premature, as such a decision should come from the ongoing Doha peace talks.

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He said, “The airport is located in areas controlled by AFC/M23. From Rwanda’s perspective, any decision should come from the Doha negotiations  where the DRC government and AFC/M23 are directly discussing solutions. It’s not up to Paris to decide to reopen the airport, since the key stakeholders are not even here.”

In rejecting the proposal to reopen Goma Airport, AFC/M23 also argued that it was unreasonable for such decisions to be made in a meeting they did not atte