By Senior Editor,China Africa News
Kigali-In a blunt press conference on November 27, 2025, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda made it clear that the block in the so-called Washington peace agreement is not Rwanda’s doing. Kigali has fulfilled its obligations, he said the delay comes entirely from Kinshasa.
According to Kagame, Congolese officials sign documents in Washington only to return home and demand new conditions, such as insisting that Rwanda withdraw its forces before anything else moves forward.
“They agree … then the next day somebody is just in the open saying, ‘No, I want to do this,’” he said.
He described a pattern of shifting positions after agreements are reached delegations may sign documents reflecting mutual commitments, but almost immediately, Kigali learns that Kinshasa is introducing new conditions that were not part of the Washington negotiations.
“They sign and then after that, the next day, whether still in Washington or back home, they say, ‘We are not going to do this until…’ They set different conditions other than what was actually done and agreed,” he said.
Kagame dismissed accusations that Rwanda is plundering the DRC’s resources as “nonsense.” He argued that Rwanda’s actions are dictated by security not greed pointing to the persistent threat posed by armed groups operating in eastern DRC, like the genocidal Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR).
To him, those alleging exploitation of mineral wealth are hypocrites who ignore the very real danger these militias pose.
Despite his frustration, Kagame emphasized that Rwanda remains ready to proceed. Kigali has “been here waiting,” he said, prepared to return to Washington as early as early December, though even that depends on whether the DRC confirms its participation. He stressed that goodwill cannot substitute for consistent political will on the DRC side.
This process, he said, isn’t about quick press releases. It’s about real, lasting peace a peace that requires Kinshasa to stop treating solemn agreements like optional suggestions. What happens next could redefine whether regional diplomacy is more than rhetoric: either the DRC commits or the credibility of negotiation itself risks collapse.
