Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, has said that the reopening of Goma International Airport should not be decided from Paris, France, because the root causes behind its closure are not located there.
He made the remarks during a press briefing on Thursday, October 30, 2025.
Following discussions held in Paris, journalists questioned the Minister about demands made by participants for AFC/M23 to immediately reopen Goma Airport.
This meeting, convened to address the security situation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), brought together President Félix Tshisekedi and French President Emmanuel Macron, who organized the session with support from Faure Gnassingbé of Togo, mediator in the Rwanda-DRC tensions.
Minister Nduhungirehe responded that reopening the airport now would be premature since negotiations are still ongoing between AFC/M23 and the Government of the DRC to resolve existing hostilities.
He stressed that such a decision cannot come from a meeting that does not include the group currently controlling the airport.
He said: “Goma Airport is under the control of AFC/M23. Rwanda maintains that decisions must emerge from the Doha peace talks, where the Government of Congo and AFC/M23 are both present. The solution to this issue is not here. Paris cannot reopen the airport when those primarily concerned are not at the table.”
Goma Airport came under the control of AFC/M23 in early January 2025, after heavy fighting that allowed the group to capture Goma on January 27, 2025, and Bukavu on February 16, 2025.
