Rwandan President Kagame Accuses DRC President Of Using Crisis To Delay Polls

Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Wednesday accused his Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) counterpart of exploiting a violent crisis in his country’s east to delay elections, reported The East African.

President Kagame accused the Congolese leader Félix Tshisekedi of creating a situation for an emergency to postpone the next presidential election set in December 2023.

On Wednesday, the Rwandan president said in the parliament that it was a shame that many parties and countries claim to want to resolve the problem that has remained for decades.

“This problem can be resolved if one country headed for elections next year does not try to create grounds for an emergency so that elections do not take place,” Kagame said at a swearing-in ceremony for new cabinet members. “If he is trying to find another way of having the next elections postponed, then I would rather he used other excuses, and not us.”

He warned powerful countries including the United States, United Kingdom, France, and the United Nations, of accusing or believing that Rwanda was to be blamed for the instabilities in eastern Congo. He accused UN peacekeeping forces of failing to eradicate the Rwandan rebel group (FDLR) and others operating in DR Congo. He also refuted claims that Kigali was stealing minerals from the DRC.

The Rwandan president blamed the insurgency caused by the M23 rebels on the Kinshasa government for not respecting previous agreements with the group. He said if needed his government is ready to help address the problem of M23 and other rebel groups.

Fighting between government forces and M23 rebels in the eastern part of Congo has heightened tensions with neighbouring Rwanda, which the DRC accuses of supporting the militia- a charge Kigali denies.

Last week, talks between the two countries in Angola did led to a ceasefire that paused the fighting, and several days later the truce appears to be holding.