Rwanda’s Refusal to Reopen Goma Airport After the Paris Conference

Rwanda's Refusal to Reopen Goma Airport After the Paris Conference: A Confirmation of the Ongoing Balkanisation of the DRC

Introduction: A Missed Diplomatic Turning Point

On 30 October 2025, Paris hosted a major diplomatic event: the Conference in Support of Peace and Prosperity in the Great Lakes Region. This meeting, chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and conducted with regional facilitator Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of Togo, aimed to revive a political dynamic capable of halting the deterioration of security in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It brought together governments, international donors, multilateral institutions and humanitarian agencies, all aware of the humanitarian emergency and the geopolitical stakes of the region.

At the end of the discussions, the conference announced the mobilisation of approximately €1.5 billion, a sum intended to support stabilisation, humanitarian assistance, reconstruction and economic recovery. One of the central recommendations concerned the immediate reopening of Goma International Airport, an essential infrastructure for security, the economy and humanitarian operations. Yet despite the international agreement, Rwanda categorically opposed it. This refusal is far from a simple logistical disagreement; it is a decisive step confirming that the progressive balkanisation of the DRC is underway.

The Paris Conference: An International Stabilisation Effort

Diplomatic Context and Key Actors

The Paris Conference formed part of a long series of mediation attempts that had until then failed to achieve lasting stabilisation. Unlike previous initiatives, the Paris meeting benefited from high-level political support, notably from France, eager to play a structuring role in a region threatened by military escalation, humanitarian catastrophe and growing territorial fragmentation.

Emmanuel Macron, as President of the French Republic, gave the conference significant political and diplomatic weight. Faure Gnassingbé, as the official facilitator between Kigali and Kinshasa, played a central role in securing verbal commitments from the parties and defining a follow-up mechanism.

Official Title and Objectives of the Conference

Its full name, "Conference in Support of Peace and Prosperity in the Great Lakes Region," reflects its ambition. The goals were to strengthen regional peace efforts, mobilise substantial funding, and establish a clear roadmap for stabilising the DRC and neighbouring countries.

Discussions focused on three pillars: regional security, humanitarian access and economic reconstruction. The reopening of Goma Airport was considered one of the priority emergency measures because it was an essential lever for all other recommendations.

The Main Recommendations Adopted in Paris

Immediate Reopening of Goma Airport

Of all the recommendations adopted, the one concerning Goma Airport was regarded as the most urgent. Participants emphasised that this airport is the only air gateway connecting North Kivu to the rest of the world. Its reopening was meant to restore humanitarian flights, deliver emergency aid, restart economic activity, and re-establish state presence in an area significantly weakened by the advance of the M23.

Strict Respect for the Territorial Integrity of the DRC

The conference reaffirmed that the sovereignty of the DRC is a non-negotiable principle. Participants recalled the illegality of any territorial occupation by foreign forces or armed groups supported from abroad, insisting that any attempt to redefine national borders must be firmly condemned.

Unhindered Humanitarian Access

An immediate objective was to ensure that humanitarian organisations could reach displaced and affected populations. Leaders stressed the urgency of opening secure humanitarian corridors, facilitating the movement of humanitarian workers, and protecting civilians trapped in hostilities.

Ending Support to Armed Groups

The conference reiterated that armed groups operating in eastern DRC—particularly the M23, the FDLR, the ADF and other transnational militias—must be dismantled. Participants demanded that all external support, whether military, logistical or financial, cease immediately.

A Historic Financial Commitment of €1.5 Billion

International donors announced a total envelope of €1.5 billion, consisting of humanitarian aid, stabilisation funds, reconstruction programmes and investments in regional development. This funding was intended to provide structural support for reconstruction and peacebuilding.

A Diplomacy Follow-Up Mechanism Assigned to the Facilitator

Faure Gnassingbé received the official mandate to oversee the implementation of the recommendations. He was responsible for coordinating consultations between Kinshasa and Kigali, producing interim reports, and ensuring compliance with the commitments made in Paris.

Rwanda's Refusal: A Political Signal With Serious Consequences

The Strategic Importance of Goma for Kigali

Less than 48 hours after the conference, Rwanda rejected the recommendation to reopen Goma Airport. This refusal can only be interpreted as a strategic calculation. Goma, a city bordering Rwanda, is a vital economic centre, a key logistical hub and a gateway to territories occupied by the M23.

Reopening the airport would have enabled Kinshasa to strengthen its authority, rapidly transfer troops, deploy essential services and facilitate humanitarian operations. It would also have allowed the international community to observe the situation on the ground more transparently.

By opposing this measure, Rwanda seeks to maintain an area of influence indirectly controlled through the M23, thereby ensuring the continued weakening of the Congolese state in the region.

A Strategy Consistent With a Broader Regional Agenda

Rwanda's refusal is not an isolated incident. For more than twenty years, Kigali has pursued a strategy combining military pressure, support for rebel groups, establishment of parallel administrations and illegal exploitation of Congolese resources. The objective is never formally declared, but the cumulative effects point to an attempt to transform part of eastern DRC into a space under Rwandan influence.

Goma Airport is a crucial infrastructure. Keeping it closed results in further isolation of North Kivu, prevents reconstruction and consolidates the M23's presence.

The Balkanisation of the DRC: A Now Visible Process

Clear Signs of Territorial Fragmentation

In areas occupied by the M23, observers report the establishment of a parallel administration. Foreign officers circulate freely, informal tax systems are imposed, and some economic transactions are conducted in Rwandan francs. Natural resources are systematically exploited and transported to Rwanda without any ability of the Congolese state to intervene.

The prolonged closure of Goma Airport fits perfectly into this logic. It creates a logistical rupture between North Kivu and the rest of the country, gradually transforming the region into an area cut off from Kinshasa.

The Transformation of Goma Into an External Sphere of Influence

As a provincial capital, Goma holds immense symbolic and strategic value. Kigali's determination to prevent the resumption of air operations indicates a clear intention: reducing the Congolese state's capacity to control its own territory and fostering the emergence of a geopolitical entity operating outside national sovereignty.

Conclusion: A Refusal That Confirms the Advance of Balkanisation

The Paris Conference sought to open a new chapter for the Great Lakes region. It mobilised exceptional financial resources, brought together major international stakeholders and proposed clear solutions. Yet Rwanda's categorical refusal to authorise the reopening of Goma Airport shows that some actors have no interest in stabilisation.

This refusal confirms a worrying trend: the progressive balkanisation of the DRC is no longer a hypothesis but a visible, structured process being implemented on the ground. In light of this, it is the responsibility of the states and institutions that took part in the Paris Conference to recognise the seriousness of the situation and assume their obligations in following through on the commitments made.

References

• RFI Afrique, "RDC : à Paris, une conférence de soutien à la paix dans la région des Grands Lacs," October 2025.
• Human Rights Watch, "Paris Meeting Should Prioritize Promoting Aid and Justice in Congo," October 2025.
• European External Action Service (EEAS), "Conference for Peace and Prosperity in the Great Lakes Region," communiqué, November 2025.
• Xinhua / English.news.cn, "France mobilizes 1.74 billion USD for Great Lakes peace efforts," October 2025.
• United Nations, Group of Experts on the DRC, Reports 2012–2024.
• International Crisis Group, analyses on conflicts in Central Africa and the M23 issue.