President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has apologized to Congolese citizens, admitting that he halted a plan to attack Rwanda after realizing he had been given false information about his country’s military capabilities.
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2023 Campaign Statement on Rwanda and M23
In December 2023, during his campaign for a second term, Tshisekedi had declared that if the AFC/M23 fired a shot in Goma, he would seek parliamentary approval to launch strikes against Rwanda. He told supporters: “Do not be afraid. Our army can fire at Kigali from Goma. Kagame will not sleep in his house; he will sleep in the forest. He can play with others, but not with Fatshi Béton.”
Admission of Misinformation and Policy Reversal
At a press conference in Kinshasa on May 6, Tshisekedi explained that as a civilian without military expertise, his first instinct was to rely on diplomacy. He admitted, however, that his earlier statements were based on misinformation about the strength of the Congolese army.
He said: “Today I want to take this moment to apologize to the people of Congo not because I feel humiliated, but because I was given false information about our military.”
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Weaknesses in the Congolese Army Revealed
Tshisekedi revealed that the DRC army lacked uniforms, weapons, and ammunition at the time, and was infiltrated by enemies who undermined it from within. He stressed that sending such a divided and weakened force into battle against Rwanda would have been reckless.
Ongoing Military Reforms and Diplomacy
He added that since then, reforms have been underway to rebuild the army’s capacity, and while progress has been made, much remains to be done. He emphasized that diplomacy has been the only viable weapon for the DRC, especially given internal sabotage.
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International Support and Resource Potential
Tshisekedi concluded by noting that the DRC now has international allies helping to restore peace, while also benefiting from the country’s natural resources.
