“They cannot have FDLR in Congo, being armed, being supported by the government of DRC, supported by mercenaries, supported by an army from Burundi, then business continues as usual,” he said during an interview with CNN.

He also criticised his Congolese counterpart, President Felix Tshisekedi, for refusing to address the root causes of the ongoing crisis in his country.

“When you have a problem, you must look for the cause, so the man has the problem and he doesn’t even appear for discussion to find a solution,” he noted.

Last week, Tshisekedi skipped a virtual summit convened by Kenyan President William Ruto, who chairs the EAC (East African Community).

The summit was called to address the ongoing crisis in DR Congo, in the wake of renewed fighting between the FARDC and the M23, which culminated in the capture of the eastern city of Goma by the rebels. The meeting focused on the escalating security situation in the region.

During the interview, Kagame was also asked about the ongoing efforts by individuals from DR Congo who have petitioned football clubs like Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Arsenal, urging them to cancel their partnerships with Rwanda, citing Rwanda’s alleged support for the M23 rebels.

He said such efforts should rather be focused on resolving DR Congo’s internal political issues.

“The efforts they are using to go and appeal to Arsenal, to whichever group we are working with and so on and so forth, is a wasted effort. I think they should direct the effort towards managing their own problems, their own politics properly,” he noted.