Rwanda’s position is based on the fact that the parties directly involved in the conflict that led to the airport’s closure are not currently engaged in discussions in France, and therefore, any decision to reopen it should not be made there.

French President Emmanuel Macron made the proposal on Thursday, October 30, during an international conference in Paris focused on peace and security in the Great Lakes region of Africa.

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Macron said that within the next few weeks, the airport should be reopened to allow humanitarian flights to land twice a week, emphasizing that the territorial integrity of the DRC would be respected.

He stated: “I would like to inform you that in the coming weeks, we will reopen Goma Airport to allow humanitarian flights to land twice a week. These will be small aircraft, depending on capacity. This will be done in full respect of the DRC’s sovereignty so that the first humanitarian planes can reach there soon.”

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Reports indicate that the Paris conference raised €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) to support those affected by the four-year-long conflict between DRC government forces and the M23 rebel group. The reports further noted that reopening Goma Airport was seen as essential to enable humanitarian aid and assistance to reach affected populations.

Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, in a brief interview with journalists, stated that France does not have the authority to decide on the reopening of an airport located in territory controlled by AFC/M23.

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He said: “Regarding Goma Airport, you may recall that it is under the control of the AFC/M23 group. From Rwanda’s standpoint, we believe that decisions must follow the framework of the ongoing peace negotiations, because that is where the Government of Congo and AFC/M23 have been sitting together to find solutions to this crisis. Therefore, any action should be taken in that context and in coordination with those who control Goma Airport  not here in Paris, because the key stakeholders are not present.”

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Minister Nduhungirehe further noted that discussions about humanitarian operations held in Paris should take into account the security situation on the ground, explaining that such operations are not feasible while the Congolese government continues to violate ceasefire agreements by using drones and warplanes to bomb M23 positions and communities of Banyamulenge civilians in South Kivu Province.