Apart from the conflict with Kinshasa, Kigali is also locked up in a tussle with Bujumbura with Burundi, accusing Kagame of supporting the Burundian rebel group Red Tabara, which stands accused of heinous crimes against civilians.

On February 19, Burundi troops joined forces with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) troops to assist Congolese forces in pacifying violence-hit Eastern DRC.

Kiir’s shuttle diplomacy comes at a time when the African Union Commission (AUC) has warned the West against “interfering with the internal affairs” of the DRC and Rwanda.

AU Commission warning

AUC Chairperson Moussa Faki voiced his concerns over the ongoing tension in the east of the DRC, where the Congolese Army, backed by troops drawn from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), has been battling the M23 rebels.

Faki reiterated his call for rapid de-escalation and cessation of hostilities between DRC and Rwanda while urging foreign entities to refrain from meddling in African state affairs.

“It (AUC) calls on all foreign powers to completely refrain from any interference in the internal affairs of all African countries, particularly those of the African Great Lakes,” AUC Chairperson said in a statement on Wednesday.

His appeal comes at a time when both the United States and the European Union have urged the two East African Member States to de-escalate the conflict.

On February 17, the Joe Biden administration in the US called on Rwanda to immediately withdraw its troops from the DRC and remove its surface-to-air missile systems, citing concerns over civilian safety and commercial flight operations in eastern DRC.

Similarly, the US urged Kinshasa to end its support for the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebel group.

To peacefully resolve the conflict, Faki called on President Paul Kagame and his DRC counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, to engage in dialogue within the framework of the Luanda and Nairobi processes.