Mudavadi slams Kalonzo over ‘reckless’ remarks blaming Ruto for ‘being part of the problem’ in the DRC crisis » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 6 – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has criticized Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka over what he termed as “reckless remarks” regarding Kenya’s involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) crisis.
In a statement, Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi dismissed Kalonzo’s insinuation that President William Ruto “is part of the problem in the ongoing conflict in the DRC”.
He emphasized that Kenya has no territorial or political interests in the DRC other than promoting peace, stability, and prosperity for its people.
“The crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has nothing to do with Kenya or its leadership. We do not share borders nor do we have any interest in DRC other than peace, stability, and prosperity for its people,” Mudavadi said.
His remarks were in response to remarks in which Kalonzo questioned Nairobi’s handling of the DRC peace process.
Speaking in Kilome, Makueni County, on Saturday, Kalonzo accused Ruto of undermining former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s efforts as the East African Community (EAC) peace envoy.
“When Ruto took over, the mistake he made was removing Uhuru Kenyatta as the chief mediator. He refused to facilitate him and the whole thing went to Angola,” Kalonzo said.
“How can Ruto claim that he can solve the DRC crisis yet he has failed here at home?”
However, Mudavadi dismissed the claims, arguing that the issues facing the DRC are deeply rooted in history and have been addressed by regional leaders for decades.
He accused Kalonzo of politicizing a sensitive international issue for personal gain.
“Kalonzo’s attempt to link President Ruto with the issues in DRC is not only an overstretch of his political witch hunt against the Head of State but also reckless, especially for a leader who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and should understand the DRC dynamics better,” Mudavadi stated.
Kenya has been blamed by some East African Community(EAC) leaders for not doing enough to mediate the crises to end the conflict in the Eastern DRC where the Congolese forces and allied troops have been struggling to tackle the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
On January 30, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame fiercely criticized fellow leaders in the East African Community (EAC), terming the bloc’s approach to the crisis in Eastern DRC as disjointed and ineffective.
Kagame, who made the remarks during an emergency EAC Summit convened by President William Ruto which DRC President Felix Tshisekedi snubbed, faulted the bloc, accusing fellow Heads of State of prioritizing national interests at the expense of a collective regional pursuit.
“Tshisekedi decided we were not doing what he wanted and went to SADC.
SADC agreed they’d come and do what he wanted and sent everybody else (EAC) packing. We complied and kept quiet,” he lamented in remarks released by the Rwandan presidency.
“Tshisekedi decided we were not doing what he wanted and went to SADC. SADC agreed they’d come and do what he wanted and sent everybody else (EAC) packing. We complied and kept quiet,” he lamented in remarks released by the Rwandan presidency.
“But really, to have even had the EAC expelled from Eastern DRC and for everybody to comply, and then remain quiet as if it was normal or okay for everything to be dictated by the country or person we are trying to help,” Kagame said, referring to the EAC Regional Force’s (EAC-RF) withdrawal from the DRC in December 2023.
Kagame also took a swipe at the Nairobi and Luanda Processes, which he said “became an end in themselves, and the people leading these processes became more important than the results of the processes.”
“The Nairobi Process became an Uhuru Process, the Luanda Process is like you cannot say anything that will displease President Lourenço,” he said, referring to Kenya’s former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Angola’s President João Lourenço.
The EAC-led Nairobi Process, facilitated by Kenyatta, seeks to aid high-level political dialogue among Congolese stakeholders to resolve the conflict in Eastern DRC.
He wondered why the Summit, after agreeing to withdraw the EAC Regional Force, acted “surprised” over the worsening situation after M23 rebels took control of Goma city in DRC.
“What really did we expect?” Kagame posed.
President Ruto and Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa will co-chair a Joint summit of EAC and SADC on Saturday, as the two regional blocs seek consensus on resolving the conflict in Eastern DRC.
President Ruto confirmed the Joint Summit on Monday, following SADC’s acceptance of the EAC’s request on Friday.
SADC agreed to the EAC’s request during a Summit hosted by Mnangagwa in Harare on Friday, which discussed the M23 rebel group’s takeover of the city of Goma, a development that had prompted Ruto to convene EAC leaders on Thursday.
EAC Heads of State had proposed a joint session during a virtual summit hosted by President Ruto.
While confirming the Joint Summit, President Ruto said his Tanzanian counterpart, Samia Suluhu, had agreed to host regional leaders in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.
He added that President Felix Tshisekedi of the DRC and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda have confirmed their attendance at the meeting, which will be preceded by a ministerial meeting on Friday.