Paul Kagame, speaking on Friday during a press conference in the capital of Rwanda, thanked the US for mediation in his country's conflict with the neighboring DRK. He reassured that Rwanda was still involved in the agreement and would comply with the agreement, but he doubted whether Kinszas would keep his part of the contract.
“If the page we cooperate with will play tricks and bring us back to the problem, then we can handle the problem as we dealt with it,” Kagame said.
The agreement, supported by the administration of US President Donald Trump, was signed last week in Washington and calls on the Rwandan army to withdraw from the eastern part of DRK within 90 days, also contains provisions regarding the respect for territorial integrity, ban on war operations and ensuring the return of refugees.
This year, in the eastern part of DRK, the rebels from M23 conducted a quick offensive, occupying the capitals and main cities of the province of North Kiwu and the southern Kiwu.
The UN accused Rwanda of giving the militia “critical” support in this offensive, which gave kigali access to valuable minerals, according to the UN confidential report, which the Associated Press cited on Friday. The report also states that the smuggling of the coltan, considered a critical mineral, from DRK territories controlled by M23 has achieved “unprecedented level” in recent months, making Rwanda one of the main world exporters of this mineral.
Kigali consistently denies this and explains that her forces are conducted by defensive activities against the DRK army and the ethnic fighters of Hutu associated with the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.
Although the peace agreement is perceived as a turning point, many analysts do not believe that it will quickly end the fight, because M23 – the main page of the conflict – claims that the agreement concerns DRK and Rwanda, not them.
