"France will never change its position regarding the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rwanda must stop supporting rebels from the M23 group in the east of the DRC and withdraw its troops from the country," Macron told a joint press conference with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, who is on an official visit to France.
Tshisekedi, for his part, voiced confidence that his country "can rely on France" when it comes to issues related to peace and stability in Central Africa.
The M23 (March 23) group, which fights for the interests of the Tutsi ethnic minority in the DRC, first rebelled against the government in 2012, but suffered a major military defeat in 2013 and was disbanded. In 2021, the rebels took up arms again, accusing the country's authorities of violating agreements to integrate disarmed M23 rebels into the army. The DRC has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the rebels, while Rwanda has denied any connections with the movement.