DRC lawmaker urges US to enforce ultimatum on Rwandan troop presence

Rwandan troops continue to occupy areas controlled by the M23 rebel group in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Congolese authorities and a UN expert report. This presence persists despite a July 15 deadline, set by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, for the withdrawal of Rwandan forces as part of international efforts to de-escalate the regional security crisis.

Congolese national lawmaker Joseph Nkoy has called on the United States to enforce its ultimatum and ensure accountability for Rwanda's continued presence. Nkoy, an elected official from Katako Kombe territory and deputy rapporteur of the National Assembly's Defense and Security Committee, urged the U.S. to uphold the peace agreement signed under its auspices on June 27, 2025, in Washington.

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This is once again a manifestation of Rwanda's contemptuous behavior towards the international community and the United States of America.

Nkoy views Rwanda's continued military presence in eastern DRC as a defiant act against the international community and the diplomatic mechanisms established to restore peace in the Great Lakes region. "This is once again a manifestation of Rwanda's contemptuous behavior towards the international community and the United States of America," Nkoy stated in an interview. He believes this demonstrates Kigali's determination to pursue its destabilization policy in the DRC and the wider sub-region.

The Congolese parliamentarian stressed that U.S. authorities must now draw the necessary consequences. "I think it is time for the United States of America to draw all the consequences, because we cannot accept that at this time, in the 21st century, there is an African leader who behaves like a tyrant, in defiance of all international bodies, all bilateral and multilateral agreements," he asserted. Nkoy also reaffirmed his confidence in the Congolese government's efforts to bolster the operational capabilities of the FARDC, the national armed forces, to defend the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

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I think it is time for the United States of America to draw all the consequences, because we cannot accept that at this time, in the 21st century, there is an African leader who behaves like a tyrant, in defiance of all international bodies, all bilateral and multilateral agreements.