President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi called the acknowledgement by Rwanda of 'security coordination' with the AFC/M23 group a 'major turning point' in his address on Sunday in Kinshasa.

"This acknowledgement is not a mere detail of communication, nor yet another political strategy, This admission constitutes a major turning point. It shrinks the space for denial, clarifies responsibilities, and compels everyone to move beyond exhortations to enforcement mechanisms - those of international law. But allow me to be perfectly clear on this point. No cause, no narrative, no security justification can legitimise occupation. Neither parallel administrations, forced displacements, nor the predation of resources to the detriment of a United Nations member state can be legitimised."

Referring to the ongoing conflict in eastern parts of the country, the DRC leader reaffirmed Kinshasa's commitment to the 'internal dialogue', while stressing that it must be conducted in line with the DRC constitution and "not with the perpetrators of crimes committed against our populations."

"Our hand remains extended for a genuine peace. But a genuine peace presupposes verifiable actions, such as the immediate cessation of all support for armed groups, the withdrawal of foreign forces from the sovereign territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the end of grey zones and strict adherence to regional and international mechanisms." 

On January 22, Rwanda's ambassador to Washington, Mathilde Mukantabana, acknowledged before the US Congress the existence of security coordination between Rwanda and the AFC/M23, citing an alleged 'genocidal threat' linked to the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

However, Kigali insisted its actions have a strictly defensive nature and do not seek to 'determine political outcomes' in DRC.

Fighting has continued across eastern areas of the DRC, despite a ceasefire brokered by the United States and a parallel economic agreement between the two countries. Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel group, an allegation Kigali has repeatedly denied before.