Justin Nsengiyumva at the UN: Rwanda calls for a realistic and lasting solution to the Congolese crisis

On Tuesday 23 September 2026, at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Rwandan Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva delivered a pragmatic address on the crisis that has gripped eastern DR Congo for several decades, speaking shortly after Congolese Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka.

At the outset, the Rwandan premier welcomed the Washington Accords, signed in June 2025 between Rwanda and the DRC, as well as the Doha Framework Agreement, concluded on 15 November 2025 between Kinshasa and the AFC/M23 under Qatari mediation and with the African Union's involvement, whose various protocols have since undergone several rounds of negotiation held both in Qatar and in Switzerland. These were steps in the right direction, he stressed, affirming that Rwanda remains fully committed to upholding these agreements, in the interest of lasting peace for the entire Great Lakes region.

"Rwanda wants peace in the region," he declared from the podium. A statement that encapsulates the line taken by the Rwandan head of government: prioritising concrete progress on the ground rather than dwelling on mutual grievances.

Nsengiyumva went on to recall the nature of the conflict pitting Kinshasa against the AFC/M23, a Congolese rebel movement. This, he argued, was fundamentally an internal Congolese crisis, meaning its lasting resolution requires tackling its true causes rather than seeking those responsible beyond the country's borders.

On this point, the Prime Minister was unambiguous: the roots of the conflict in eastern DRC are political, he said, rooted in long-standing grievances, exclusion and governance failures. A clear-eyed reading that shifts the focus of the debate towards substantive reform rather than confrontation between states.

It was in this spirit that he called, in his address, for the effective implementation of the clauses already negotiated between Kinshasa and the AFC/M23, in Doha as in Switzerland, viewing this as the surest path towards genuine, lasting peace. A sober approach in form, but one that offers a clear method: addressing root causes rather than merely managing the symptoms of the conflict.

Finally, the Rwandan premier called on all parties to honour their commitments, stressing this shared responsibility. An appeal that reflects Kigali's wish to see the diplomatic frameworks signed in Washington, Doha and under the auspices of the African Union translated into concrete action on the ground, in the interest of stability across the whole Great Lakes region.