Congo’s president has announced plans to establish a unity government as conflict intensifies in the country’s east, and criticism mounts over his management of the crisis.
Speaking on Saturday, President Felix Tshisekedi addressed members of the ruling Sacred Union of the Nation coalition, urging them to remain united and not lose focus due to internal disputes. His comments came after rebels backed by Rwanda seized key cities in eastern Congo.
“I lost the battle and not the war. I must reach out to everyone including the opposition. There will be a government of national unity,” said Tshisekedi. He did not specify what the initiative would involve or when it would take effect.
Among the many armed groups operating in eastern Congo, M23 has emerged as the most dominant. The group has launched a sweeping offensive, capturing major urban centres and reportedly killing around 3,000 people. In just three weeks, M23 forces took over Goma, the largest city in the region, before advancing to Bukavu, the second-largest.
U.N. experts report that roughly 4,000 Rwandan troops have been deployed in support of M23. At times, the rebels have threatened to extend their campaign all the way to Kinshasa, Congo’s capital, over 1,000 miles to the west.
Rwanda, in response, has accused Congo of collaborating with ethnic Hutu militants who were behind the 1994 genocide against Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
M23 claims it is fighting to defend Tutsis and Congolese of Rwandan descent from persecution, as well as to transform Congo into a more stable and modern state. However, analysts argue that these explanations are simply a front for Rwanda’s deeper involvement in the conflict.
On Saturday, Tshisekedi paid tribute to fallen soldiers and pledged to strengthen the national army.
