War in Eastern Congo : DRC will not bend, DRC will not back down (Tshisekedi statement)

The Rwandan defense forces, in support of their M23 puppets, are continuing their terrorist enterprise on our territory, sowing terror and desolation among our populations, accused Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi on Wednesday in a ten-minute message to the Nation. He accused the UN and the African Union of being complicit in the crisis shaking the east of his country and promised an unprecedented response against Rwanda and M23 rebels.

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Félix Tshisekedi did not participate in the virtual summit of heads of state of the EAC, the economic bloc of East African countries that includes eight states including Congo and Rwanda. This summit, which took place by video conference on Wednesday, was convened by Kenyan President William Ruto, who is at the top of the EAC for a one-year rotating presidency. Ruto has particularly tense relations with Tshisekedi.

“I share with you the pain and indignation at these barbaric attacks. These acts are not only an attack on the Republic but an offense to the history and dignity of our people,” said the Congolese president.

Félix Tshisekedi called on the Congolese to be resilient and resistant. And to reassure : “a vigorous and coordinated response against these terrorists and their sponsor is underway.”

The Congolese president indicated that “the fight against the M23 is not only that of the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) but the fight of an entire people, the fight of our Congolese identity in order to bequeath to future generations a prosperous and peaceful country”.

The supreme commander of the FARDC called on all Congolese without distinction, including those in the diaspora, to provide unwavering moral and material support to Congolese soldiers.

Humanitarian emergency plan

Mr. Tshisekedi said he was aware of the suffering of the Congolese fleeing the hostilities.

“The government is instructed to activate the humanitarian emergency plan to help the displaced,” he said.

Since 2023, nearly 410,000 people have been newly displaced in North Kivu, bringing the total to 2.38 million displaced people.

“I deeply feel your pain, which is also mine. It crosses our hearts and souls as sons and daughters of the same homeland. But in the face of this ordeal, I urge you to draw on this inner strength that makes the Congolese people great. Resist with vigilance, show constant vigilance and remain calm despite adversity,” the Congolese president specifically addressed the residents of Goma and its surroundings.

“Know that we have not remained inactive,” he declared.

The international community and the AU challenged

As his Minister of Foreign Affairs Thérèse Wagner did last Sunday at the United Nations headquarters in New York, President Tshisekedi challenged the international community and the African Union (AU).

“I would like to call on the international community and the African Union, Rwanda continues to openly and unscrupulously violate the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter as well as regional agreements. Worse, these actions take place with total impunity and with a clear disregard for international rules and the values ​​that these institutions are supposed to defend,” accused Félix Tshisekedi, who spoke of “unacceptable provocation against our sovereignty and regional stability.”

He repeated the allegations that thousands of Rwandan soldiers are present on the Congolese soil.

“Their political, logistical and military support for their M23 puppets, as well as their involvement in the illegal exploitation of our natural resources, are leading us straight to an escalation with unpredictable consequences that endanger the entire Great Lakes region,” warned Mr. Tshisekedi.

“Your silence and inaction in the face of the barbarity of the Kigali regime and atrocities perpetrated by its proxies on our territory, constitutes an affront not only to the Democratic Republic of Congo but also to the universal values ​​of justice and peace,” he insisted.

Addressing the international community and the AU, Félix Tshisekedi spoke of passivity that borders on complicity. He acknowledged that the situation is certainly serious and condemned the recent attacks on embassies and private interests in the capital Kinshasa.

Local militias in the spotlight

In his speech, Félix Tshisekedi described members of the local militias maintained by the Congolese authorities as “true sentinels of national sovereignty”.

“Your bravery, your discipline and your unwavering commitment inspire and mobilize an entire people determined to defend their territory”, he congratulated the Congolese militiamen commonly known by their Swahili name ‘Wazalendo’ or patriots. “The Republic will never abandon you and your sacrifices will never be forgotten”.

“The Democratic Republic of Congo will not bend, the Democratic Republic of Congo will not retreat, I will never abandon you, I swear here”, concluded President Félix Tshisekedi in his ten-minute speech, broadcast on the Congolese National Radio and Television.

In their summit, presidents of the East African Community countries concluded that “direct engagement with the M23” is essential.

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Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye at a summit on the Congolese crisis in Bujumbura, the commercial city of Burundi. The two men accused Rwanda of invading Congo (SOS Médias Burundi)