Johan Borgstam, the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) for the Great Lakes Region visited Rwanda from 26th February to 1st March as part of a broader mission to the region that also includes the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia (AU), Tanzania (EAC) and Burundi. This mission follows his diplomatic outreach in Kampala and Nairobi last week.
Central aims of the mission are to address the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), underline the urgency of securing efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis, emphasise the importance for all involved parties to engage in dialogue, support ongoing regional initiatives to end the hostilities.
There is no military solution to the ongoing crisis. The European Union recognises that regional political processes are paramount in this respect and stands ready to strengthen its support to these efforts.
On his second official visit to Rwanda, EUSR Borgstam held high-level discussions with Rwandan authorities and the diplomatic community in the aftermath to the EAC/SADC summit 8 February, the African Union Summit 15-16 February and the EU Foreign Affairs Council 24 February.
Interlocutors included H.E. President Paul Kagame, H.E. Minister of Defence Juvenal Marizamunda and H.E. Minister of State James Kaberebe.
EUSR Borgstam also engaged with representatives of the international community, civil society organisations and humanitarian organisations.
Reflecting on his visit, EUSR Borgstam underlined:
“The EU is deeply concerned about the escalation of the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, aggravated by the renewed offensive of the M23 supported by the Rwandan Defence Forces and notably the capture of Goma and Bukavu. This constitutes a violation of territorial integrity. We call on all parties to end hostilities, abide to the call for an immediate cease fire and to engage in political processes for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The legitimate security concerns of all countries in the region have to be respected. We reiterate the responsibility of the government of the DRC to dismantle the FDLR militia. The rise of ethnic hate speech must be condemned by all governments in the region. We welcome the outcome of the joint EAC-SADC summit of 8th February. The apparent postponement of the awaited EAC-SADC Ministerial meeting today in Harare is unfortunate, as urgent action is required to avoid further escalation and regionalisation of the conflict. The EU continues to actively support African-led political efforts for stability and peace in the Great Lakes region.”
EU Ambassador to Rwanda H.E. Belen Calvo Uyarra said:
“I truly appreciated the frank and constructive engagements that we held with H.E. President Kagame, Minister of State Kabarebe and Minister Marizamunda. These were all constructive conversations that notably focused on the root causes of the conflict and ongoing African-led political processes for lasting peace. For me and the EUSR this was also an opportunity to explain EU positions in depth”.
Appointed as European Union Special Representative (EUSR) since September 2024, Borgstam’s mission is to spearhead the implementation of the renewed EU Great Lakes Strategy, whose objectives include support to peace, stability and security in the Great Lakes region, by promoting de-escalation of tensions and supporting dialogue and long-term regional solutions to crisis and conflicts, in particular in Eastern DRC and to contribute to the regional efforts to transform the root causes of insecurity and instability into shared opportunities, unlocking the region’s full potential. (End)