Kinshasa delivered this message through the newly elected Speaker of its National Assembly, Aimé Boji Sangara, during a meeting of the Executive Committee of the SADC Parliamentary Forum held in Durban, South Africa.

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He stated that since tensions between the DRC and Rwanda began, his country has consistently shown willingness to resolve them through various dialogue processes  including the Luanda, Nairobi, Washington, and Doha initiatives  which Kinshasa has been engaged in with the AFC/M23 rebel group it accuses Rwanda of supporting.

On November 15, both sides signed foundational principles meant to help end the four-year conflict.

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Aimé Boji said that despite the signing of these principles aimed at restoring peace and security, human rights violations continue to be reported in areas he described as being under the control of Rwandan forces operating alongside AFC/M23  something he attributes to Rwanda’s alleged failure to comply with its commitments.

He said: “Even though both sides agreed to cease hostilities, Rwanda’s forces and M23 have not stopped launching attacks in known areas, including mining zones. We condemn this every day. On top of Rwandan forces advancing, they are also exploiting mineral resources from the eastern part of our country.”

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Boji said that what is happening in eastern Congo requires careful attention from SADC, urging the bloc to help the DRC exert pressure on Rwanda.

He added: “This is an issue that requires SADC’s careful consideration… If there are Washington talks today, it is because Rwanda refused to comply with what it had agreed to. Rwanda refused to attend the meeting organized by the President of Angola, who had long been working to bring us peace, but President Kagame chose not to attend.”

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“We ask the SADC Parliament to use its diplomatic leverage to put pressure on Rwanda so that it respects the commitments it made and complies with UN Security Council Resolution 2773, which calls for its troops to leave Congolese territory without conditions.”

Rwanda has consistently denied having troops inside Congo, saying instead that it has taken defensive measures to prevent Kinshasa and its allies from destabilizing Rwanda’s security.

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Rwanda’s Foreign Minister, Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, recently emphasized that these defensive measures will only be lifted once the DRC dismantles the FDLR genocidal militia, as required under the Washington agreements.