Tshisekedi seeks Russian backing for peace efforts with Rwanda
The Congolese leader also requested support for extending MONUSCO's UN peacekeeping mandate, which ends in December.
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin for assistance in resolving tensions with Rwanda during talks concluding a Russia-Africa summit. Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of supporting an armed group battling its government.
Tshisekedi pointed to Russia's permanent seat on the UN Security Council as he requested help pursuing peace. He separately asked Putin to support an extension of the mandate for MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping operation in DR Congo. Its mandate ends in December.
A December peace deal between Kinshasa and Kigali, mediated by the United States, has not stopped the fighting. Conflict has affected eastern DR Congo for more than three decades, with M23 becoming a major government opponent since 2021.
Kinshasa has repeatedly sought the departure of Rwandan troops. Although President Paul Kagame's government denies involvement, UN experts say Rwanda's forces continue to assist M23.
For its part, Rwanda demands action by DR Congo to neutralize the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). Active in the country's east, the militia was established by former Rwandan Hutu officials responsible for the 1994 genocide targeting the Tutsi.
