Latest news with #ThereseKayikwambaWagner
India Gazette
26-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Multi-party delegation meets Congo Foreign Affairs Minister to convey India's zero tolerance against terrorism
Kinshasa [Democratic Republic of the Congo], May 26 (ANI): A multi-party delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde on Monday held a 'fruitful meeting' with Congo Foreign Affairs Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and conveyed India's zero-tolerance against terrorism. The delegation also thanked Congo for its 'support and solidarity in the fight against terrorism'. 'All-party Parliamentary delegation, led by@DrSEShinde, held a fruitful meeting with Minister of State of Foreign Affairs of DR Congo Therese Kayikwamba Wagner@RDCongoMAE. The delegation conveyed India's zero tolerance for terrorism. Thanked@RDCongoMAEfor support and solidarity in the fight against terrorism,' India in DR Congo posted on X. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs Bansuri Swaraj, Atul Garg, Manan Kumar Mishra, Indian Union Muslim League's ET Mohammed Basheer, Biju Janata Dal's Sasmit Patra, BJP leader SS Ahluwalia, and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy are also part of the Shinde-led delegation. The delegation also visited the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and held a meeting with Vital Kamerhe Lwa Kanyiginyi Nkingi, President of the National Assembly of the DRC. Earlier, India's former Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sujan Chinoy, highlighted the strategic significance of DRC in Africa, underlining the strong bilateral ties shared between the two nations and the role of Indian peacekeepers in the region. Speaking on India's diplomatic engagement with DR Congo, Chinoy said, 'The Democratic Republic of the Congo is Africa's second largest country in terms of size after Algeria. It has 120 million people, so it's a very populous country... It has a big voice in this part of the world.' He further noted the country's importance on the continental and global stage. 'It's an important member of the African Union and it is also one of the countries of Africa that could potentially be a future non-permanent member of the UN Security Council,' he said. The delegation, which includes leaders from multiple political parties, collectively conveyed India's zero-tolerance policy against terrorism on the international platform. BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Manan Kumar Mishra, a member of the delegation, reinforces this unified message by emphasising the delegation's purpose: to send a strong, clear message globally that India will no longer tolerate terrorism after decades of suffering. His statement underscores the delegation's role as a concrete example of India's coordinated and resolute foreign policy approach that Chinoy highlighted. 'After Pahalgam, we waited for 15 days for Pakistan to take some action against terrorists, but they didn't, and then we targeted their terrorist camps on May 7,' he said. The delegation aims to brief international partners on India's Operation Sindoor after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack by Pak-sponsored terrorists in which 26 tourists were brutally killed. The seven multi-party delegations led by one MP each have been visiting various countries to counter Pakistan's misinformation on Operation Sindoor and highlight India's zero-tolerance policy against terrorism. Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), leading to the elimination of over 100 terrorists affiliated with terror outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. (ANI)
Arabian Post
29-04-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
Washington Accord Signals New Phase in Congo-Rwanda Peace Efforts
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have formalised a U.S.-mediated agreement aimed at drafting a peace deal by 2 May, marking a significant step towards resolving long-standing hostilities in eastern Congo. The declaration, signed in Washington on 25 April, commits both nations to respect each other's sovereignty, cease support for armed groups, and establish a joint security mechanism to combat regional instability. The agreement was signed by DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio present as a witness. The declaration outlines commitments to mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful resolution of disputes, and an end to support for armed groups destabilising the region. This development follows a series of diplomatic efforts, including Qatar-brokered talks in Doha, where the DRC government and the M23-led Alliance Fleuve Congo agreed to work toward a truce. The M23 offensive, which began in January 2025, has led to significant displacement and casualties in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu. The U.S. has expressed interest in investing in the mineral-rich regions of eastern Congo, which hold essential resources like copper, cobalt, and lithium. The agreement opens the door for major U.S. public and private investments in the area, including sectors like tantalum and gold.
TimesLIVE
28-04-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
DRC and Rwanda sign pathway to peace in US-brokered agreement
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda vowed to come up with a draft peace deal by May 2 and refrain from providing military support to armed groups, according to an agreement signed in Washington on Friday as part of diplomatic efforts to end violence in eastern DRC. The agreement, reached amid an unprecedented advance by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in DRC, is expected to bring significant US public and private investment to the region, which is rich in minerals including tantalum and gold, the final text said. It raises hopes that the latest cycle of violence in a decades-long conflict rooted in the Rwandan genocide might ease. However, previous ceasefire calls have not produced a sustained break in the fighting. Both parties also agreed to explore a joint security co-ordination mechanism to crack down on armed groups and criminal organisations. The two countries' foreign ministers signed at a ceremony with US secretary of state Marco Rubio, who also signed as a witness. 'To our countrymen and women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially in the east, we know you are watching this moment,' said DRC foreign minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner. 'You have every reason to expect more than promises.'
Business Insider
26-04-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Rwanda and the DRC sign historic deal to replace violence with economic value chains
The brutal violence that has plagued the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for months has come to an end after Rwanda and the DRC signed a peace agreement. Peace agreement signed between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Washington. Deal focuses on promoting peace, economic development, and respecting sovereignty. Aims to attract major U.S. public and private investment to the mineral-rich region. It was recently reported that the DRC and Rwanda were set to sign an agreement in Washington on Friday aimed at promoting peace and economic development. DR Congo and the M23 group said earlier this week that they were dedicated to peace and that they hoped to achieve a lasting truce. As relayed, this deal has been signed, which entails that both countries respect each other's sovereignty and come up with a draft peace deal by 2 May. "To our countrymen and women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially in the east, we know you are watching this moment," said Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner. "You have every reason to expect more than promises," she added. Emphasizing that point, the Rwandan Foreign Minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, also added, "We are discussing how to build new regional economic value chains that link our countries, including with American private sector investment." The agreement, made during a staggering advance by M23 rebels in Congo, is likely to attract major U.S. public and private investment to the region, which is rich in minerals such as tantalum and gold, according to the final text, as reported by Reuters. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio witnessed the signing on Friday, where the foreign ministers of the two nations inked the agreement in Washington. "A durable peace in the Great Lakes region will open the door for greater U.S. and broader Western investment, which will bring about economic opportunities and prosperity," Rubio said during the signing. "Our firms are good corporate citizens, American firms, and they'll bring good governance and ensure responsible, reliable supply chains for things like critical minerals,' he added. Fighting purportedly broke out in North Kivu region on Friday despite the negotiations. In recent months, M23 rebels supported by Rwanda have taken control of large areas of mineral-rich terrain in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians. The Kinshasa administration sought assistance from the United States in return for access to the minerals after losing territory. Authorities in the DRC estimate that 7,000 people have been killed since fighting began in January. The conflict conducted by M23 in the eastern DRC towns of Goma and Bukavu sparked concerns of a larger regional war. The DRC, alongside the United States and the United Nations, had accused Rwanda of backing the rebels, which Rwanda has since disputed.
Al Jazeera
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
DR Congo, Rwanda agree to draft peace deal by May 2
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have agreed to draft a peace deal by May 2, committing to respect each other's sovereignty and refraining from providing military support to armed groups. DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and her Rwandan counterpart Olivier Nduhungirehe signed the agreement in a tense meeting in Washington, DC, on Friday, in which the two did not shake hands. The deal, part of diplomatic efforts to end the violence in eastern DRC, came two days after Qatar brokered an unexpected truce between the African nations. The United States brought the two countries' foreign ministers together and voiced an interest in investment in the DRC's turbulent but mineral-rich east, where fighting between DRC forces and M23 rebels has intensified since January. The M23 has captured key cities in the east in a campaign that has left thousands dead. The US and the United Nations experts say M23 is backed by Rwanda, which has repeatedly denied the charge, saying it is defending its security against hostile militias operating in DRC, including remnants of the Hutu-led group behind the 1994 genocide. Friday's joint declaration, signed in front of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, pledged the two sides would halt military support to non-state armed groups, though it avoided naming M23 directly. Wagner later said the deal amounted to a commitment for Rwandan forces to withdraw, as outlined in a UN Security Council resolution. 'The good news is there is hope for peace. The real news – peace must be earned, and it will require seriousness, transparency and sincerity,' she said. Nduhungirehe said US President Donald Trump had made a 'real change in the conversation' on DRC, including by drawing a link to efforts to expand US private-sector investment. Rubio described the agreement as a 'win-win', suggesting it could unlock major US-backed investment in energy and mining – areas where China already has significant influence. A new US envoy to Africa, Massad Boulos, recently visited both nations and urged Kigali to stop backing M23 and pull out troops. Since 2021, the two sides have agreed to at least six truces that later collapsed. The latest bout of violence since January has killed thousands and raised fears of a wider regional war. Analyst Martin Ziakwau Lembisa believes the US pressure pushed both governments towards diplomacy. 'If it were up to the M23, they would have advanced further,' he told AFP news agency. 'But how far the Americans will really get involved is the whole question.'
