Kinshasa, December 10th, 2025 (CPA) – The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has requested on Wednesday the United States of America to strengthen its sanctions against Rwanda, which continues to violate the peace agreement recently signed in Washington, according to a statement from the Ministry in charge of Foreign Affairs.
‘In the face of thousands of deaths and mass displacement, the concern is no longer enough. Concrete measures are needed,’ has declared Therese Kayikwamba, Minister of State in charge of Foreign Affairs, in an interview with the foreign media outlet Reuters, quoted in the statement. She has requested Washington to strengthen sanctions against Rwanda in order to restore the credibility of the peace process led by the Trump administration. While reaffirming the Congolese government’s willingness to respect this agreement, Therese Kayikwamba has also invited the other actors involved to act responsibly in the face of this on-going aggression. ‘DRC reaffirms its commitment to peace and calls on all actors to take responsibility for ending the M23 violence in the east of the country,’ the source has informed.
The Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs has explained that by signing the Washington peace agreement, Kigali has agreed to proceed with military disengagement from DRC, or to proceed with the complete and verifiable withdrawal of Rwandan troops and their auxiliaries (M23/AFC) from Congolese territory. ‘By lifting defensive measures, Kigali is supposed to lift its security (defensive) measures that it is conducting in the east of the country, thus continuing to add to its record of atrocities estimated at 7 million deaths in DRC,’ has specified Minister Kayikwamba, before indicating that Kinshasa has, for its part, agreed to proceed with the neutralisation of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). In order to comply with international law, she has concluded, both parties have committed not to support hostile acts and to respect territorial integrity.
This is with a view to promote the creation of a regional economic integration framework (REIF) for peace and prosperity. CPA/