The solution to the problems of the Congolese people does not lie in Kigali - Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mbeki, the former President of South Africa, has indicated that although Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have been meeting for some time, it is not enough to bring peace to the eastern part of the country.
It is a point that Mbeki reiterated in an interview with South African journalist Sophie Mokoena.
The interview focused on the efforts that have been underway for some time to find a solution to the problem of eastern DRC, including the mediation initiated by the United States.
Mbeki said that what is being done will not yield results as long as the Congolese do not yet feel that the solution will come from within them.
He said, “You can reach an agreement, the Congolese government and the Rwandan government will meet and sign an agreement, that is good but that alone will not solve the problem in eastern DRC. This has been tried before, I have often told people that the problems in eastern DRC are internal to Congo and do not originate outside the borders of Congo.”
He continued, “Therefore, what the Americans have been doing for the past few days to encourage Kinshasa and Kigali to come together, does not solve the Congo problem, this problem should be solved by the Congolese people.”
In February 2025, a summit of heads of state of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
The meeting concluded that the fighting between M23 and FARDC should cease immediately, that a solution to the problem be sought through peaceful means, and that the Democratic Republic of the Congo should engage in dialogue with all parties, including the M23.
Thabo Mbeki said that this resolution is the one that provides a lasting solution, because the solutions to the problems of the DRC are not in Kigali.
He said, “Remember, SADC and EAC are coming together, what Africans have said is that we should support the path towards peace between the Congolese, Kinshasa should talk to the M23 and they should solve the problems, that is the right path. You can talk to Uganda, Rwanda and others about their behavior in Congo, but the solution to the problem of the Congolese, of the Banyamulenge, is not in Kigali, it is in Kinshasa.”
Thabo Mbeki made this announcement as fighting between the FARDC and the M23 has intensified and is now in control of large parts of North Kivu, including the city of Goma and Bukavu in South Kivu.
It is also at a time when Joseph Kabila Kabange, the leader of the DRC, has arrived in the city of Goma, which is controlled by the M23, after being stripped of his immunity and being prosecuted by the DRC authorities.
Kabila arrived in Goma a few days later and presented Tshisekedi’s government with 12 things that would help the country achieve lasting peace and security, including ending dictatorship and war, reconciling with the Congolese people, and engaging in genuine and permanent dialogue with neighboring countries, with the aim of achieving peace and sustainable development in the region.
He said, “10th, to dismantle all Congolese and foreign armed groups and to send the foreign ones back to their countries of origin. 11th, to stop the use of mercenaries in accordance with the principles of the African Union of July 3, 1977 and the UN resolution of December 4, 1989, and to promptly repatriate those on Congolese soil.”
Kabila called on the DRC government to withdraw foreign troops from the country, commending the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for starting to withdraw its troops by December 2023.
The tension continues to escalate as Qatar, the United States and the African Union continue to do everything they can to bring peace to eastern DRC.
