Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi. (Ludovic Marin/AFP)
- The DRC’s Felix Tshisekedi vowed to deal with insecurity, particularly in the eastern part of the country, as it turned 64.
- Rwanda’s Paul Kagame said he would not wait to be attacked by the DRC.
- More than 200 Burundian soldiers have been jailed for refusing to fight alongside DRC forces.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) turns 64 years this week, an anniversary it celebrated in terms that would be appropriate for a country at war.
Which, for the DRC, is perhaps not far off.
In a televised message in French, President Felix Tshisekedi said the country’s “valiant soldiers are on the front line” and “together, we will overcome this unjustified aggression”.
“We honour the courage of the brave soldiers and fighters who loyally defend the nation at the risk of their lives. The nation will not forget you,” he added.
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Tshisekedi was referring to both a renewed warning from across the border in Rwanda, where President Paul Kagame has promised retribution if the DRC were to venture into its territory, and to the ongoing security crisis in the eastern DRC.
At the weekend, news broke Kanyabayonga, a town straddling the Lubero and Rutshuru territories of North Kivu, had been taken over by M23 rebels.
Kanyabayonga is considered strategic because it lies on the pathway to the commercial centres Butembo and Beni.
Until recently, Kanyabayonga had been the go-to town for internally displaced people who fled Rutshuru, Nyiragongo and Masisi due to armed conflict.
Going tough for allies
The DRC enlisted the help of a SADC force – led by South Africa alongside Malawi and Tanzanian forces – to fight the M23 rebels.
Last week, the M23 shelled a South African Defence Forces base killing two and injuring 20.
The DRC also has Burundian forces fighting on their side in the eastern part of the country.
In August 2022, Burundi dispatched troops to the eastern Congo following an East African Community agreement to begin a cooperative effort against armed groups.
According to a bilateral agreement, Burundi’s soldiers stayed put in the DRC when Kinshasa declined to extend the regional force’s mandate after December 2023.
However, Burundi experienced resistance from soldiers who did not want to be deployed in the DRC.
Last week, more than 270 soldiers received jail sentences ranging between 22 and 30 years for refusing to fight alongside the Congolese army against the M23 rebels.
Kagame’s warning
The DRC, and much of the rest of the world, believe the rebels are supported by Rwanda, an accusation the country has consistently denied while threatening dire consequences if the DRC were to act directly against it.
Addressing a presidential rally last week, Kagame said Rwanda had had enough of threats.
“Rwanda is a small country and therefore won’t wait to be attacked, we’ll find them and fight from there … we’ll never seek permission from anyone to protect ourselves,” he added.
Kagame was in Rusizi a small town in the Western Province which shares a border with Bukavu in the DRC.
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In December, also while on a presidential campaign run, Tshisekedi threatened to go to war with Rwanda.
The DRC, meanwhile, is linked to Rwandan rebels.
Last year, the UN urged the DRC to stop working with the Rwandan genocide remnants of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
Kagame accused the DRC government’s alliance with the FDLR trying to destabilise his regime in Kigali.The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.