Calls grow for Congo to resolve conflict through dialogue

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi has intensified his accusations against Rwanda, issuing a scathing critique against decades of what he described as "predatory aggression" against the Democratic Republic of Congo at the recent Munich Security Conference.

While warning the international community of the consequences of inaction, Tshisekedi said that if the world "allows a country's borders to be violated in Africa by force, who will be next?"

Experts at the conference, which took place from February 14 to 16, shared President Tshisekedi's sentiments on the dire humanitarian consequences of the conflict but suggested local solutions to the war.

"We see more and more suffering for civilians because of the protracted nature of these wars," Hichem Khadhraoui, Executive Director of the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) at the Hague, told DW.

"We need to start at the local level … the parties to the conflict need to speak to each other," Khadhraoui added.

A nation 'bathed in tears'

As he addressed a room full of global dignitaries and policymakers, Tshisekedi invoked the deep suffering of his people.

"These men, women and children whose tears have bathed the soul of our country deserve more than a simple mention in international debates," he said, warning the leaders gathered that the conflict could trigger a regional crisis if left unresolved.

"Do not be complicit in the silence, history is watching us. If we leave things to develop, then that will have repercussions well beyond the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo."

For Khadhraoui, the insecurity challenge in eastern Congo is one of many that require urgent intervention.

"We have so many conflicts in the world today happening that don't have the needed attention from the world," he told DW.

But for some experts like Dr. Annette Weber, the European Union's Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, the existing conflicts require different strategies to resolve. Weber told DW that a one-size-fits-all approach to dealing with these conflicts will likely be unsuccessful.

"I think we always need to be very granular and specific. No country, no case is the same," Weber said. "For example, the terrible war we have seen in northern Ethiopia, three years ago, and if you're looking at the war in Sudan, it's very, different."

Accusations and rebuttals

At the heart of Tshisekedi's message at the Munich Security Conference was a serious accusation against Rwanda. The 61-year-old leader said Rwanda's aggression in eastern DRC was not a mere border dispute but a calculated maneuver driven by economic and expansionist ambitions.

"In Masisi, there's a mine in a place called Rubaya, and there's coltan, tungsten, tin, and tantalum —materials feeding this conflict and leading to the shedding of blood," Tshisekedi said.

"To pillage those resources, the Rwandans have to create permanent instability, so the state has no authority in that region."

However, Rwanda's Minister of Defense, Juvenal Marizamunda, who attended the panel discussion, challenged Tshisekedi's statements. He argued that the narrative of Rwandan aggression misrepresents the nature of Rwanda's relationship with eastern DRC.

"The foundation of hypocrisy is very strong. We must deal with the adversity of hypocrisy," Marizamunda said.

According to Marizamunda, Rwanda has suffered from the political and economic fallout of the humanitarian crisis in Congo and would benefit more from regional stability.

"Why would Rwanda be a country with an ambitious agenda for socio-economic development while at the same time jeopardizing these operations? Rwanda's best interests in economic ambitions are better served by peace, not conflict." the Rwandan minister said.

"Rwanda has never attacked Congo. What we have done is invest in the economy of eastern DRC."

Focus on homegrown solutions

With millions displaced, women and children suffering the ravages of violence, the DRC faces an ever-deepening crisis.

When asked about securing additional humanitarian support from Western and Middle Eastern partners, the Tshisekedi noted that while high-level discussions were underway, geopolitical and diplomatic constraints were hampering immediate relief.

"I have talked to the Americans, to the Europeans, and soon I'll be talking to the people from the Middle East as well. But it's more about diplomacy and politics than about humanitarian issues. I don't think they have the answers to my [country's] humanitarian needs,"  the Congolese president said.

He also questioned whether the world was doing enough to end violence in his country. "Unfortunately, it is tainted by hypocrisy. We have commitments, but they only apply to certain so-called 'untouchables.' When it comes to others with the same rights, those commitments are ignored."

Reacting to his insistence that the DRC would not negotiate with the M23 rebels, the consensus was that this approach was unsustainable. 

The Rwandan-backed M23 rebels recently captured Bukavu, another strategic city of one million people in South Kivu Province, in addition to Goma, which they now control.

Path to sustainable peace

"We see more and more suffering for civilians in protracted conflicts like those in the DRC because local communities are often left unheard," Khadhraoui told DW.

"CIVIC works on the ground, engaging with communities to ensure accountability and build bridges of trust between the government, security forces, and local populations. That's the only way to find sustainable peace."

Similarly, former Burkina Faso Prime Minister Dr. Lassina Zerbo told DW that Africa has an increasingly evolving geopolitical landscape and, as such, needs homegrown solutions .

"Africa must devise its own strategies through dialogue at the local level," Zerbo said. "Our continent has the capacity to solve its own problems if we empower local actors and then leverage regional mechanisms for support. Only with this layered approach can external interests align with the needs of our people," he added.

According to Weber, the EU representative, ending the crisis in Congo can only succeed if the solution comes from the grassroots. 

"If peace is not owned and led by the people of these countries and their regional organizations, then processes outside of the region will not hold," she told DW.

Weber, however, insisted that any sustainable peace must be inclusive. "If the women are out, peace will not come. You can have a peace agreement lasting half a day if the women are not in the room," she said.

Despite differing approaches, experts agreed with the DRC president that Africa's conflicts require global accountability and African-led solutions. "Let's support these local initiatives, and then we can speak about more global solutions," Khadhraoui said.

Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu