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French President Emmanuel Macron, who was on a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, recently called for an end to violence in Goma, the eastern part of the country, and underscored the need for a permanent solution to the vexatious issue. The end of violence that was perpetrated for a long time should come from collective awakening, he said, while assuring that his country would remain faithful to its role as an unfailing ally of the DRC in defending its integrity and sovereignty.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who was on a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, recently called for an end to violence in Goma, the eastern part of the country, and underscored the need for a permanent solution to the vexatious issue. The end of violence that was perpetrated for a long time should come from collective awakening, he said, while assuring that his country would remain faithful to its role as an unfailing ally of the DRC in defending its integrity and sovereignty.
Macron announced that France would release an immediate contribution of 34 million euros in humanitarian aid to cover the immediate needs of the local population in terms of food, health care, and sanitation. He added that his country would be the first State to respond to the European Union’s initiative to set up a humanitarian air service to Goma, the capital of DR Congo’s eastern North Kivu province, to link that region with the rest of the country. Goma is the hotbed where fighting with the rebel group M23 is going on, displacing more than 600,000 people. The DRC government has accused Rwanda of backing the militia group M23.
Importantly, there was a war of words between the visiting French president Emmanuel Macron and his DR Congo counterpart Felix Tshisekedi at a joint press conference in Kinshasa. Tshisekedi called upon France to impose sanctions on neighbouring Rwanda over the ongoing violent crisis in the eastern region of Goma. Macron, on the other hand, called upon DR Congo’s government to take responsibility for the violence that has cascaded through the region for years.
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It may be recalled that the DRC government has accused Rwanda of backing the militia group M23, which re-emerged from dormancy in late 2021. Subsequently, M23 occupied swathes of territory in North Kivu. The UN, the US, and western countries including France, agree with Kinshasa’s assessment. However, Rwanda denies the charge saying that it is a mere allegation.
