Ambassador Johan Borgstam, the European Union’s Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region, completed his tour of Kinshasa in the DRC on Wednesday March 5, 2025, as part of a regional mission to promote peace and stability in the region.
The visit takes place against a backdrop of heightened tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, notably due to Rwanda’s occupation of certain Congolese territories.
At a press conference in Kinshasa, Ambassador Johan Borgstam made clear the European Union’s position on Rwandan interference in eastern DRC, describing it as a “violation of the territorial integrity of the DRC”.
The EU has repeatedly called for the withdrawal of Rwandan forces from Congolese soil and an end to support for the M23.
At the same time, it has urged the DRC to dismantle the FDLR militia.
“My message to the Congolese government was firstly to underline the European Union’s position on what is happening in the Great Lakes region, and to make it clear that Rwandan interference in eastern DRC is a violation of the DRC’s territorial integrity. We have also reminded the Rwandan government of the need for Rwandan forces on Congolese soil to withdraw. The absolute necessity for the Rwandan Government to cut off aid to the M23 movement, and also the responsibility of the Congolese Government to dismantle the FDLR militiamen”, declared Johan Borgstam.
In his exchanges with political leaders in both Kinshasa and Kigali, Borgstam stressed the need for a political solution to end the armed conflict in eastern DRC.
The only way forward is a political solution, involving dialogue between all the parties concerned. This requires a firm commitment on the part of regional governments to respect agreements and cease-fires.
“I insisted both in Kigali and in Kinshasa that there is no military solution to this conflict. The only possible solution is a political one”, he said.
Johan Borgstam met President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo to discuss the EU’s latest political decisions, in particular the prospects for sanctions against Rwanda for its flagrant violation of the DRC’s territorial integrity. Both parties stressed the urgency of creating the conditions for a return to the negotiating table for a political solution to the conflict.
In addition to its political commitment, the EU announced significant humanitarian support for the battered population of eastern DRC. A 44-tonne convoy of humanitarian aid is on its way to Goma, financed and equipped by the EU.
Prior to his visit to the DRC, Ambassador Borgstam visited Rwanda, where he met President Paul Kagame and other representatives of the Rwandan government. He reiterated the need for Rwanda to withdraw its forces from the DRC and end its support for the M23.
Ambassador Borgstam reiterated the EU’s commitment to supporting regional efforts for a peaceful solution to the conflict.
Mitterrand MASAMUNA