The meeting between Paul Kagame and Félix Tshisekedi, though fraught with tensions, remains a prospect on the horizon. In an interview with Jeune Afrique on Monday, March 25th, Rwandan President Paul Kagame asserted that his Congolese counterpart was “capable of everything except assessing the consequences of what he says.”
In response, Félix Tshisekedi, speaking to the press, stated that his country had no issue with the Rwandan people but rather with its regime and leader. Such statements cast doubt on the likelihood of a meeting between the two leaders.
A close associate of Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi confirms that the meeting with Rwandan leader Paul Kagame is “still in the works.” However, one of the prerequisites set by the Congolese side is the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from the country. This presence, documented in reports by the United Nations and condemned by several Western diplomatic missions, has been a point of contention in recent weeks.
In his interview with the pan-African media outlet Jeune Afrique on Monday, March 25th, Rwandan President Paul Kagame did not refute this information. This interview serves as evidence that tensions persist between the two leaders despite attempts at reconciliation. “This validates our stance,” asserts Congolese Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula.
Lutundula further notes that the recent meeting of the foreign ministers of both countries in Angola last week marks progress after several months of no communication. “But without Rwanda’s withdrawal, we cannot address the underlying issues,” he warns. Moreover, no timeline has been set for the meeting between the two heads of state, “but it is more likely to be measured in weeks rather than days,” our presidency source emphasizes.