RDC-Rwanda: Jason Stearns advocates for a pragmatic political solution, ruling out military defeat for Rwanda

During an online discussion held Monday evening and hosted by journalist Stanis Bujakera Tshiamala, researcher Jason Stearns passionately argued for a political compromise with the M23. He explicitly dismissed the idea that sufficient international pressure could lead to a straightforward withdrawal by Rwanda, asserting that such an outcome is currently unrealistic.

Addressing the perceived imbalance of international pressure, which seems to weigh more heavily on Kigali than on Kinshasa, Jason Stearns initially acknowledged: “the ideal solution to this conflict would simply be to exert pressure on Rwanda for a full withdrawal.” He referenced the 2013 precedent, where “diplomatic pressure” on Kigali, combined with “military pressure on the M23,” resulted in “a military defeat for the M23.” However, he noted that this victory was “not followed by a coherent peace process.”