Tshisekedi asks Russia to back DR Congo mediation and UN demands

President Félix Tshisekedi told the plenary of heads of state at the Russia-Africa Summit that Security Council resolutions 2773 and 2808 demand a ceasefire, an M23 withdrawal and the pullout of Rwandan forces.

Russia voted for both texts, he said, so Moscow should fully support their implementation and the mediation. He reaffirmed support for the Washington and Doha processes alongside African Union mediation, and thanked African mediators, the United States and Qatar.

He said illegally exploited minerals fund the war and that war rules out development. He called for protection of civilians, humanitarian access and the safe return of displaced people.

What Tshisekedi offered

He proposed a partnership covering peace, security, jobs, energy, infrastructure, local processing of minerals and food security, naming hydropower and civil nuclear power. Ministers would pick a limited set of funded, time-bound projects, with a first review at the next ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum. He said diversifying partnerships is not choosing a side.

Why Washington is involved

The speech came a day after the US Treasury sanctioned Rwanda's Ministry of Defence and Zigama, a credit and savings society, on 28 October 2026. Treasury says Rwanda's security apparatus backs M23 with troops, equipment, logistics and training. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Rwanda must halt its support for M23 and withdraw its troops from eastern Congo. Rwanda's government denies backing M23, and UN experts have said Rwandan forces still help the group.

DR Congo's foreign ministry welcomed the sanctions. Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo told the BBC the Washington Accords contain clear commitments on neutralising the FDLR and that this is not happening. The US-brokered Washington Accords did not stop the fighting.

Sanctions and the money trail

Washington alleges Zigama facilitated payments for weapons while acting on behalf of Rwandan security services, and enabled the transport of gold from rebel-held areas. The Treasury action freezes assets of designated entities under US jurisdiction and generally bars US individuals and businesses from transactions with them unless authorised or exempt. Earlier US sanctions targeted Rwanda's army and four senior military commanders in March 2026, and the Gasabo gold refinery and three mining companies in June 2026, the BBC reported.

Before the sanctions, Tshisekedi urged the international community to impose real sanctions on Rwanda and apply more pressure. Washington also says minerals from rebel-held territory enter Rwanda's supply chain and that Rwanda exports more minerals than it produces. M23 has seized mineral-rich areas in North and South Kivu, including Rubaya, a major coltan producing area.

What comes next

Russia is one of five permanent Security Council members with a veto, which can shape any new resolution on Congo, including the peacekeeping mandate that expires on 20 December 2026. Russia's answer to Tshisekedi's request is not known.