Kinshasa, DR Congo | By Michael Wandati | Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi has criticized his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto, for the “mismanagement” of the Nairobi Process aimed at fostering peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Tshisekedi expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the Nairobi Process, which was initially overseen by former President Uhuru Kenyatta but has since faltered under President Ruto’s leadership.
In a discussion organized by the Brookings Africa Security Initiative and Africa Growth Initiative, Tshisekedi stated, “There are two processes. There was the Nairobi Process driven by Uhuru Kenyatta which, unfortunately, was subsequently managed by the new president William Ruto. He managed it very badly. The process is almost dead, apart from the fact that the designated facilitator, Uhuru Kenyatta, has stayed on. President Ruto has taken up Rwanda’s cause.”
Though Tshisekedi did not detail the accusations against Rwanda, he appeared to reference comments made by Ruto in an interview with Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report. In that interview, Ruto questioned the Congolese government’s characterization of the M23 rebels as Congolese and suggested that the situation should not be Rwanda’s concern.
In response to these tensions, the DRC recalled its ambassadors from Kenya and the East African Community (EAC). Tshisekedi is now pinning his hopes on the Luanda Process, led by Angolan President João Lourenço, to address the conflict in Eastern Congo. However, the Luanda Process has also faced setbacks and appears to be stalled.
Relations between President Ruto and President Tshisekedi have fluctuated, marked by periods of tension and brief improvements. The situation worsened in April when DRC intelligence officers detained two Kenya Airways staff over missing customs documentation for valuable cargo.
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The tensions had been building since December 2023 when former DRC electoral commission chair Corneille Nangaa launched the Congo River Alliance in Nairobi, a political group allied with the M23 rebels.
In May, an attempt to mend relations saw President Ruto send Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to Kinshasa with a message of cooperation. Mudavadi emphasized the desire for closer ties and increased trade between the two countries. However, relations soured again when Ruto’s comments in May sparked another diplomatic dispute.
These ongoing tensions have adversely affected the Nairobi Process, leaving the DRC seeking alternative avenues for achieving peace.
