In a bid to raise awareness about the aggression of Rwanda in the eastern part of the country and to explain its implications, the Congolese government has launched a new campaign titled “Congolais Telema” (Stand Up Congolese). The kickoff of this initiative took place on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the RTNC facilities, with government members and various representatives of civil society in attendance. According to Judith Suminwa, the Prime Minister, this campaign serves to strengthen the various fronts on which the government is engaged in defending the country’s integrity.
“Beyond the military front, this war is fought on multiple fronts: diplomatic, judicial, economic, media, and spiritual. But the most crucial front is carried by you, the Congolese people: the popular front. It is essential to give this war the strength of our unity, where every Congolese mobilizes fully, to the best of their abilities and means, to defend our nation. Our destiny depends on it. That is why, in line with the actions led by the President of the Republic and as our national anthem, ‘Stand Up Congolese’, dictates, we invite you, Congolese men and women, to stand up with all your will to defend our motherland, the Democratic Republic of Congo,” declared Judith Suminwa in her speech.
The Prime Minister also condemned the disastrous consequences of this aggression, highlighting Rwanda’s responsibility and the complicity of some Congolese in the destruction of the country’s future. “We are at war, our motherland is threatened. Our neighbor, Rwanda, and its proxies from the M23/AFC have devised a plan for the systematic destruction of our nation through a deadly war on our territory. This is not the first time Rwanda has attacked us to satisfy its expansionist ambitions and plunder our natural resources. In this criminal adventure, they kill thousands of innocents, destroy lives, violate women, bomb schools and hospitals – everything that contributes to the future of our country,” she passionately expressed.
She continued, “This war has gone on for too long: 30 years, it’s enough! Today, Rwanda, with the complicity of some of our compatriots, is trying to undermine what we have built over decades: a common future, peaceful coexistence, and economic development in North Kivu, South Kivu, and across the entire Republic. They use hatred, division, and manipulation of facts to fuel their genocide project against the Congolese. But the Congolese people are united and determined to face this threat.”
Despite calls from the international community and regional organizations, the M23 rebellion, supported by Rwanda, continues to advance in the South Kivu province, exacerbating the security and humanitarian crisis in the eastern DRC.
### International Summit Decisions
During the joint EAC-SADC Summit held in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, to discuss the security situation in the DRC, the heads of state and government from both sub-regional blocs made significant decisions with immediate effect. These measures aim to address the humanitarian emergency, promote de-escalation of the conflict, and support Kinshasa’s efforts to assist the populations of Goma and North Kivu.
However, several resolutions from this summit remain unimplemented. The ministerial meeting scheduled in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Friday, February 28, 2025, was postponed to a later date, and as of now, no new date has been communicated to the various stakeholders.
As a reference, the summit notably decided on the immediate cessation of hostilities and an unconditional ceasefire, to which all parties, state and non-state, are required to adhere. It also included the reopening of the Goma airport and major supply routes, by land and water, to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, as well as the repatriation of deceased soldiers and the evacuation of the wounded.
Despite these commitments, the implementation is slow to materialize, leaving the populations in the East of the DRC in a precarious situation, amidst increasing insecurity and a growing humanitarian crisis.