Mukuralinda made the disclosure during an interview with RBA on Sunday.
On July 31, 2024, representatives from Rwanda, the DRC, and Angola agreed that all hostilities between the warring factions in the DRC should cease by August 4, 2024. The parties also agreed that the FDLR terrorist group should be dismantled.
This decision stemmed from a proposal by the DRC delegation during the Luanda talks on March 21, 2024.
If implemented successfully, the dismantling of the FDLR could significantly contribute to ending the conflict, as the group is seen as a major driver of insecurity in the region.
Although the DRC government expressed its commitment to honoring this agreement, contradictions surfaced during Luanda talks on September 14, 2024.
Before these ministerial-level discussions resumed, military and intelligence experts from Rwanda, the DRC, and Angola had met in Rubavu on August 29-30, 2024, where they agreed on a plan to dismantle the FDLR.
Mukuralinda disclosed that during the September 14 Luanda talks, DRC representatives backtracked on their earlier commitment, refusing the proposed plan to dismantle the FDLR.
"When they arrived at the meeting, those who were supposed to present the report did so. If our minister said, 'We signed at 1 AM,' you can understand that it was challenging. These difficulties must have involved changes because the plan to dismantle the FDLR was no longer on the table," he remarked.
Mukuralinda referenced a 1 AM message from Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, who noted that the meeting minutes were signed after facing difficulties.
He further commented, 'If you analyze the situation, it's the mediator who should explain the changes. However, if he didn't say anything, and those who promised us a plan to dismantle the FDLR haven't provided one, it shows that something changed.'
He also criticized President Félix Tshisekedi's plan to welcome into the DRC, six Rwandans who faced genocide charges.
These individuals, temporarily hosted in Niger, include some who completed their sentences and others who were acquitted.
Among them is Capt. Innocent Sagahutu, who has attempted to enter the DRC illegally to join the FDLR, along with Protais Zigiranyirazo, the brother-in-law of former Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana.
Mukuralinda emphasized that Tshisekedi's shifting position, particularly his willingness to align with individuals who openly seek to overthrow the Rwandan government, highlights his duplicity.
He noted, "If you change and collaborate with people who openly declare they want to overthrow Rwanda's government, then who is contradicting? If there has been a contradiction, who would dare stop them and say, 'Everything we were about to do must stop'? It's the Head of State!"
As the Luanda talks move forward, Mukuralinda asserted that the process is revealing which party genuinely lacks the will to resolve issues that led to conflicts between both countries.
"Today, as these talks continue, they expose who lacks willingness. Yet, just recently, he was the one loudly accusing Rwanda of being the cause. Let these talks continue until the true instigator becomes clear, even though they are already exposed," he stated.
Mukuralinda concluded by assuring that Rwanda will remain actively engaged in the Luanda talks but will also continue to take the necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of its citizens.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/mukuralinda-sheds-light-on-drc-s-contradictions-in-luanda-talks
