Shaheen, Risch Meet with DRC President Félix Tshisekedi

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Jim Risch (R-ID), Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the statement below following a meeting with President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

"We were glad to welcome President Félix Tshisekedi to the United States Capitol today to discuss The Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity, and the future of the U.S.-DRC bilateral relationship. The United States is ready to be a stronger partner to the DRC and this bipartisan support must be met with serious efforts by all parties to meet their commitments to The Accords. As we have said previously, the U.S. must also act against those who have already broken their commitments to deter further violations.

"In our meeting with President Tshisekedi, we discussed the importance of our critical minerals' partnership and continued investment in revitalizing the Lobito Corridor to foster mutual economic growth, regional trade and long-term U.S.-Africa cooperation.

"We also expressed our concerns about the ongoing occupation of parts of Eastern Congo by the Rwanda-backed M23 group, and the urgent need for Rwandan forces to fully withdraw from the region if there is to be any chance at real, lasting peace. The humanitarian catastrophe in eastern DRC, where 26 million people face acute food insecurity, is intolerable. Women, children and minority communities cannot remain collateral damage.

"In order to ensure long-term stability, the DRC must do its part to deescalate the conflict by taking decisive action against the FDLR and violent Wazalendo militias harming local communities. We hope that following this visit, the DRC recommits to a credible national dialogue over military solutions, so that Kinshasa can build the political cohesion needed to unify the country and strengthen the future of our bilateral partnership."

###

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Tweet