EU Envoy Warns Rwanda Has ‘Fewer Excuses’ After Congo Peace Deal

Kinshasa, Dec. 11, 2025 — As he concluded his two-year diplomatic mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the European Union’s top envoy, Nicolas Berlanga Martinez, issued a pointed reminder to the international community on the deteriorating security situation in the East and the importance of accountability.

During his farewell audience with President Félix Tshisekedi, held at the African Union headquarters, Mr. Berlanga expressed his strong support for Congo's position and emphasized growing international impatience with Rwanda’s continued involvement in the M23 rebellion.

“The international community is behind you,” Berlanga said.

“Rwanda has fewer and fewer excuses to justify its actions on the ground. Now that there are the Washington agreements, its guarantor must assert itself to ensure they are respected.”

The comment comes just days after renewed M23/RDF offensives in South Kivu and Goma, in direct violation of the U.S.-brokered Washington Peace Agreement signed on December 4, 2025. The agreement, backed by the United States, Rwanda, and the DRC, explicitly demanded the withdrawal of foreign troops and the end of support for armed groups destabilizing eastern Congo.

As pressure mounts, EU officials are now calling on the agreement’s guarantors, particularly the United States, to ensure strict compliance and accountability.