DR Congo PM resigns, new government to be formed amid clashes in the east

Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde, the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, resigned on Tuesday as part of the preparations for Kinshasa to form a new government, according to a statement from the presidency.

Lukonde handed over his resignation to President Felix Tshisekedi after the validation of his mandate as a national deputy.

The soft-spoken premier will now join parliament as a legislator.

The resignation followed a meeting earlier in the day between the EU ambassador in Kinshasa and the Congolese Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula, during which condemnation of Rwanda's support for M23 was reiterated.

The EU reaffirmed its dedication to fighting illicit mineral trafficking and enhancing transparency in mineral value chains.

"We renew the EU's commitment to combating illicit mineral trafficking and promoting transparency in mineral value chains," EU's diplomat in Kinshasa, Nicolas Berlanga said in an X post.

He added that "the EU was willing to work with the DRC in the areas of critical minerals, as agreed in the memorandum of understanding signed between the DRC and the EU in October 2023."

Interestingly, in Brussels, the capital of the European Union, the bloc signed an agreement with Rwanda on the exploitation of critical raw materials.

"Rwanda has rich natural resources, which can help bring prosperity to the local population and advance global green transition," said Jutta Urpilainen, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships after the signing of the mineral deal.

"Very concerned"

France, a member state of the European Union, said on the day of Lukonde's resignation that it was "very concerned" about the situation in the eastern part of DRC and called on Rwanda to cease its support for the M23 rebel group, which has recently stepped up its offensive.

#RDC 20.02.2024|#CiteUA
Le Premier ministre @LukondeSama vient de déposer sa démission auprès du Président Félix Tshisekedi. Il était à la tête du Gouvernement depuis le 15 février 2021, au terme des consultations nationales que le Chef de l’État avait initiées en novembre 2020. pic.twitter.com/66QP8qo87a

— Présidence RDC 🇨🇩 (@Presidence_RDC) February 20, 2024

Violent clashes between the Congolese army and M23 Tutsi-led rebels have killed scores of people and displaced hundreds of thousands.

For more than a year, the humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached alarming levels.

A new surge in violence, particularly in the east of the country, is pushing affected populations into multiple forced displacements.

The country currently has 6.7 million people displaced within its borders, amid serious flooding emergencies and a resurgence of measles and cholera outbreaks.

Kigali has continuously denied the backing of the M23, although the DRC, the United Nations, and other Western countries have said it funds and fights alongside the group in the mineral-rich region.

"France condemns the continuation of the M23 offensives with the support of Rwanda, and the presence of Rwandan forces on Congolese territory," France said in a government statement, adding to growing international pressure on Rwanda.

"We call on Rwanda to cease all support for the M23 and to withdraw from Congolese territory," it said, reaffirming its support for a regional mediation process to put an end to the conflict.

Lukonde assumed the role of Prime Minister in the East African Community country in February 2021.

Following Tshisekedi's re-election in December, he tasked a representative with the duty of identifying a majority coalition within the National Assembly to facilitate the formation of the next government.