The Archbishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, expressed deep skepticism about the peace agreement recently signed between the DRC and Rwanda.
Cardinal Ambongo made these remarks while speaking to journalists in Rome, Italy.
On June 27, Rwanda and the DRC signed a peace agreement aimed at ending over 30 years of conflict between the two nations.
The deal was brokered with the help of the United States, and President Donald Trump called it a historic agreement that could finally end the decades-long war between the two neighboring countries.
However, Cardinal Ambongoāone of the most influential voices in the DRCādismissed the deal as āfalse solutionsā to a crisis that has long gripped the eastern part of the country.
He expressed doubt that the approach used by Trump would bring lasting peace, citing Trump’s failure to achieve peace between Ukraine and Russia as a sign of weakness.
āYou recently saw the solution Trump is proposing for the DRC and Rwanda. Thereās a war, and the root of it is minerals. Now Trump, the big man, says, āIāll come mediateābut give me the minerals.ā He tried the same in Ukraine; it didnāt work. Back home, people flee when they hear Trump’s nameātheyāre scared,ā said Ambongo.
He went on to say that the approach to these peace talks is flawed and outdated.
āWhat we can say about these agreements is that this process is enough now. False solutions are enough. Decisions made without consulting those affected by insecurity have become unbearable.ā
The peace agreement in question includes several key points, including the dismantling of the FDLR, a rebel group blamed for much of the insecurity in eastern DRC for over 30 years.
The agreement also stipulates that the conflict with the M23 rebel group, which has been ongoing for nearly four years, should be resolved through dialogue in Doha, Qatar, where talks between the two sides are already underway.
