How Kinshasa’s new diplomatic teeth threaten Kampala and Kigali

What the report says

The Observer reports that the Democratic Republic of Congo is adopting a more assertive foreign-policy posture that could reshape relations with Rwanda and Uganda. The article says Kinshasa, long seen as reacting defensively to armed conflict in its east, is now using international institutions more aggressively, including the United Nations and the International Court of Justice. It highlights Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner’s criticism of the UN Security Council and frames the approach as part of President Félix Tshisekedi’s effort to turn Congo into a stronger diplomatic actor.

According to the report, this shift is especially significant for Kigali, which Kinshasa has accused at the ICJ of genocide, torture and other abuses. The article also says Congo helped secure UN Security Council Resolution 2773, described as the first in two decades to directly name Rwanda in the conflict. The piece argues that the move signals a willingness to use sanctions and legal pressure rather than rely only on negotiations that have repeatedly failed to stop violence in eastern Congo.

The article places Uganda in the middle of this changing regional landscape as well. It notes Kampala’s military presence in eastern DRC under Operation Shujaa and recalls past Ugandan involvement in Congo, while warning that any regional intervention now faces greater legal and political scrutiny. The report also stresses that diplomatic gains have not ended fighting on the ground in places such as South Kivu and Masisi, where displacement and armed conflict continue.