Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi urged visiting French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday to pursue worldwide sanctions in opposition to Rwanda for its alleged navy help to the M23 riot.
Macron mentioned he was ready for the tip of a number of ongoing peace negotiation efforts earlier than contemplating such a step. However he vowed that France could be “devoted to its function as an unwavering ally of (Congo) to defend its integrity and sovereignty.”
Japanese Congo has been mired in battle for many years, with armed teams vying for management of the area’s huge mineral assets. Most just lately, Congo has accused Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels, who’ve seized management of huge swaths of the nation’s east.
Rwanda has repeatedly denied the allegation.
Peace talks have taken place in Nairobi, Kenya and Angola’s capital, Luanda. Regional leaders have known as for a cease-fire in japanese Congo and for the M23 rebels to withdraw from the territory they’re holding.
On Saturday, the French president mentioned that Congo “should not be a spoils of conflict.”
“That is the very which means of my presence at the moment, to inform everybody that there can’t be a double commonplace between the tragedy being performed out in Ukraine on European territory and that being performed out on African soil,” Macron mentioned.
Tshisekedi pressed his French counterpart for sanctions in opposition to Rwanda, saying he remained “uncertain concerning the good religion of those that attacked us.”
“There was no motive to justify this aggression, aside from financial causes, which have been particular to Rwanda, the instigator of this aggression,” Tshisekedi mentioned, accusing Rwanda of “systematic plundering.”
Forward of Macron’s arrival late Friday, almost two dozen citizen teams had known as for protests.
Emmanuel Mabunguta, a member of the Justice in Motion Motion, accused Macron of supporting Rwandan President Paul Kagame and mentioned the French president was not welcome in Congo.
“The silence of the French president in relation to the calls for of the Congolese folks for sanctions in opposition to Rwanda speaks volumes about what he actually needs,” Mabunguta mentioned. “Macron should brazenly condemn Rwanda for its help of the M23.”
Congo was Macron’s final cease on his journey to Africa, which additionally included visits to Gabon, Angola and Republic of Congo. On Friday in Brazzaville, Macron pledged France would assist in the battle in opposition to local weather change and pledged help for forest conservation initiatives.
___ Related Press writers Christina Malkia in Kinshasa, Congo and Louis Okamba in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo contributed.
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