Despite mounting international pressure, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains firm in its refusal to engage in direct negotiations with the M23 rebel group, which has made significant territorial gains in the east of the country in recent months.

Last week, the UK government joined calls for an “inclusive dialogue” to seek a political solution to the conflict. However, Congolese Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka, in an interview with the BBC, insisted that her government prefers to negotiate with Rwanda, which it accuses of backing the rebels.

According to Congolese authorities, the fighting has resulted in the deaths of at least 8,500 people since January and has displaced hundreds of thousands.

UN experts and other sources confirm that Rwanda plays a key role in the ongoing conflict.

“The fact remains that the aggressor of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of Congo is Rwanda,” Suminwa Tuluka stated, referencing a UN report from last year, which indicated that between 3,000 and 4,000 Rwandan troops had crossed into Congolese territory and were fighting alongside M23.

Efforts to broker peace have stalled. Talks mediated by Angola collapsed last December after Rwanda insisted that the Congolese government engage directly with M23. The rebel group then launched rapid offensives, capturing the cities of Goma and Bukavu in January and February.

A joint East and Southern African mediation effort last month called for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of foreign forces from Congolese soil, and direct negotiations between state and non-state actors, including M23.

When questioned about the presence of Rwandan troops in DR Congo, Rwandan President Paul Kagame did not explicitly deny it, responding ambiguously in a CNN interview, saying, “I don’t know.”

Once seen as a Western ally, Rwanda is now rapidly losing international support over its involvement in the conflict.

However, pressure on Rwanda to withdraw its forces continues to grow, and as Suminwa Tuluka pointed out, despite diplomatic efforts, it has not yet effectively done so.

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