Dr. Jackson and his delegation were welcomed by President Kagame, who was flanked by Minister of Defense Juvenal Marizamunda, the Secretary General of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) Emmanuel Havugiyaremye, and Government Spokesperson Yolande Makolo.
The visit took place amidst growing security concerns in the region, particularly in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the DRC government has accused Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels in their conflict with the Congolese army.
Rwanda has denied these accusations, instead pointing to DRC's alleged collaboration with the FDLR terrorist group, which Rwanda claims aims to destabilize its security.
Rwanda also argues that the allegations are part of attempts to mislead the international community and distract from the root causes of the region's instability, including long-standing governance challenges in the DRC.
DRC has called on the United States and other nations to impose sanctions on Rwanda. However, Rwanda has stated that if sanctions were a viable solution to the regional instability, the situation would have improved by now.
While DRC officials continue to engage with the U.S. to push for sanctions in an effort to secure mining agreements, Rwanda remains focused on continuing diplomatic dialogues with various international partners.
Leaders from the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) held a joint summit in Tanzania on February 8, 2025, emphasizing the importance of political dialogue between the conflicting parties for achieving long-term peace and stability in the region.
Théophile Niyitegeka
