Kagame Agrees with US on Ceasefire but Rejects Calls for Troop Withdrawal from Goma

By Staff, Agencies

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame stated that he shares the US government's stance on the need for a ceasefire in eastern Congo.

However, he did not suggest any intention to withdraw Rwandan troops or their M23 rebel allies from Goma.

The M23 rebels had entered Goma, the largest city in Congo’s east, on Monday, escalating a conflict that has lasted more than a decade.

The violence has left hospitals overwhelmed with patients suffering from gunshot, mortar, and shrapnel wounds.

On Tuesday, the US urged the United Nations Security Council to consider measures to stop the rebel offensive, which has displaced tens of thousands.

The council has the authority to impose sanctions. In Goma, shops and houses were looted, but after several days of intense fighting, the city remained relatively calm, with sporadic gunfire on Wednesday, according to residents.

Kagame confirmed on X that he had a productive conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the need for a ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC] and addressing the root causes of the conflict.

Rubio conveyed Washington’s deep concern about the escalation of the conflict, which has been ongoing for over 30 years, rooted in the legacy of the Rwandan genocide and competition for Congo's mineral resources.

The UN and Congo’s leadership have accused Rwanda of having troops in Goma, supporting the M23 rebels, though Rwanda maintains it is merely defending itself against Congolese militias. Rwanda has not directly addressed whether its troops have crossed the border.

The US State Department called for an immediate ceasefire and respect for territorial integrity in the region.

The M23 rebels are part of a series of ethnic Tutsi-led insurgencies supported by Rwanda that have destabilized Congo since the Rwandan genocide. Rwanda claims that militias formed by the perpetrators of the genocide are operating in Congo, posing a threat to both Congolese Tutsis and Rwanda.

Congo, however, accuses Rwanda of using these proxy militias to control and exploit Congo’s valuable mineral resources.

In Kinshasa, protests broke out against foreign interference, with demonstrators attacking UN compounds and embassies, including those of Rwanda, France and the US.