In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), political tensions have flared following a recent visit by Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe to the city of Goma.
The visit, which took place on Tuesday, was part of a broader diplomatic initiative aimed at launching a new verification mechanism under the Luanda peace process.
However, the reception Nduhungirehe received has sparked outrage, particularly from Vital Kamerhe, the President of the National Assembly, who voiced his strong disapproval.
Nduhungirehe, accompanied by his Congolese and Angolan counterparts, attended the ceremony marking the launch of the ad hoc enhanced verification mechanism, designed to monitor the ceasefire agreed upon in Luanda.
The mechanism’s purpose is to address the ongoing tensions between the DRC and Rwanda.
However, what has provoked Kamerhe’s anger was the military honors extended to the Rwandan official during his visit.
Speaking to the Prime Minister on Thursday, Kamerhe expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the honors granted to Nduhungirehe, particularly in the context of Goma’s troubled history.
“It’s not bad that the Rwandan Foreign Minister arrives in Goma because we are for peace,” he said.
“But for you to give him such honors— with the military governor and the provincial police inspector standing at attention— I consider this very serious, and I believe we do not know what we are doing.”
Kamerhe continued, emphasizing his opposition: “In the martyr city of Goma, we receive the Rwandan Foreign Minister and our military governor is standing at attention? The provincial police inspector too? No, this is unacceptable. Please relay this message to the Prime Minister.
All national deputies are outraged by this.”
The anger stems from the complex and strained relationship between the two countries, which have long been embroiled in conflict.
Despite efforts to forge peace, including the ceasefire that began in August and the recent launch of the verification mechanism, fighting has continued unabated.
On Thursday, clashes erupted again between the M23 rebels and the DRC’s armed forces (FARDC), along with their Wazalendo allies, in Kanyabuki, near the Virunga National Park in North Kivu.
Reports indicate that M23 forces initiated the attack on FARDC and Wazalendo positions, sparking intense fighting that lasted throughout the morning.
The violence also disrupted traffic along National Route 2, with the area remaining blocked until the afternoon when calm returned.
Despite diplomatic efforts to ease tensions, the ongoing violence in eastern DRC illustrates the difficulty of achieving lasting peace, and the political fallout from Nduhungirehe’s visit highlights the deep-rooted frustrations still simmering within the country’s leadership.
