On the final day of the Africa-France Summit 2026 held in Nairobi, Kenya, President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo abruptly left Uganda. He seemingly intended to target Rwanda once again, as he has repeatedly done during international gatherings.
Those attending the inauguration of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in Uganda were surprised by his sudden departure. Many expected Tshisekedi to complete the ceremony before returning to Kinshasa. However, he appeared determined to make an appearance before the Nairobi summit concluded on May 12.
On that day, Tshisekedi’s spokesperson, Tina Salama, claimed the Congolese President did not travel to Nairobi merely to complain. She stated he aimed to call on the international community to stop remaining silent over killings in the DRC. She attributed these killings to Rwandan aggression.
Two days later, Farah Muamba Kayowa from the DRC President’s Office announced that their country had urged the international community to act. These claims attempted to link the Africa-France Summit 2026 to their ongoing accusations against Rwanda.
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Rwanda dismisses DRC claims at the Africa-France Summit 2026
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, was present in Nairobi and participated in all summit discussions. He dismissed the claims from Kinshasa as completely baseless. He explained that the DRC did not participate in any summit discussions in a way that would have allowed them to deliver such a message. According to the Minister, the summit featured three constructive sessions chaired by President William Ruto and President Emmanuel Macron.
Minister Nduhungirehe stated: “There was a discussion on (1) environmentally friendly industries and reforms in energy use, (2) reforms of international financial institutions, and (3) peace and security. These were constructive and productive exchanges in which Heads of State actively participated.”
He further clarified that during all three sessions of the Africa-France Summit 2026, neither President Tshisekedi nor any DRC representative was present. He noted that the seat allocated to the country remained empty throughout the event. This suggests that Tshisekedi’s trip from Uganda to Kenya did not go as planned.
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Empty seats and missed opportunities at the Africa-France Summit 2026
The Minister added: “In all three sessions, the DRC’s seat remained empty. Consequently, Kinshasa was unable to ‘make requests’ or accuse anyone in Nairobi, and instead chose only to symbolically show that the President attended at the closing stage of the summit.”
The Government of Rwanda has repeatedly rejected these accusations. Kigali maintains that instability in eastern DRC stems from poor governance and political failures. These conditions allowed armed groups to emerge and operate freely over the decades. Rwanda also notes that the FDLR armed group was formed by those responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Kigali accuses the Kinshasa government of providing this group with logistical support to fight the AFC/M23 coalition. Despite the claims made by the DRC, their lack of participation at the Africa-France Summit 2026 left their accusations without a platform.
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