Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi has urged visiting French President Emmanuel Macron to pursue international sanctions against Rwanda for its alleged military support to M23 rebels.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been mired in conflict for decades, with armed groups vying for control of the eastern region's vast mineral resources.
The M23 rebellion — one of the largest of dozens of armed groups operating in the region — have seized control of large swaths of the country's east since 2012.
Peace talks have taken place in Nairobi, Kenya and Angola with regional leaders calling for a cease-fire in eastern Congo and for the M23 rebels to withdraw from the territory they are holding.
Mr Macron said he was waiting for the end of peace negotiation efforts before considering any possible sanctions.
"If they do not respect it, then yes, there can be sanctions," he said without naming any particular party.
Mr Macron said he had been "very clear" in condemning M23 and those who support it.
"There cannot be a double standard between the tragedy being played out in Ukraine on European territory and that being played out on African soil," he said.
But French support for neighbouring Rwanda stoked anti-French sentiments in the eastern DRC ahead of Mr Macron's arrival late Friday.
Nearly two dozen citizen groups called for protests.
Emmanuel Mabunguta, a member of the Justice in Action Movement, accused Mr Macron of supporting Rwandan President Paul Kagame and said the French president was not welcome in Congo.
"The silence of the French president in relation to the demands of the Congolese people for sanctions against Rwanda speaks volumes about what he really wants," Mr Mabunguta said.
"Macron must openly condemn Rwanda for its support of the M23."
Congo was Mr Macron's last stop on his trip to Africa, which also included visits to Gabon, Angola and Republic of Congo.
History of fraught relations between Congo and Rwanda
Relations between Congo and its smaller neighbour Rwanda have been fraught for decades.
Rwanda alleges that Congo gave refuge to the ethnic Hutus who carried out the 1994 Rwandan genocide that killed at least 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, a Tutsi, is widely credited with stopping the genocide.
Congo has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23, mainly comprising Congolese Tutsis, which Rwanda has long denied.
A report by UN experts sent to the UN Security Council in August last year found "solid evidence" that members of Rwanda's armed forces were conducting operations in the Congo in support of the M23 rebel group.Rwandan military members also violated sanctions by providing weapons, ammunition and uniforms to M23 rebels, the report said.
Fighting between M23, the Congolese army, and various other armed groups has displaced more than 520,000 people, according to the United Nations.
"There was no reason to justify this aggression, except for economic reasons, which were specific to Rwanda, the instigator of this aggression," Mr Tshisekedi said, accusing Rwanda of "systematic plundering".
'Francafrique is a thing of the past'
On Saturday, Mr Macron said that Congo "must not be a spoils of war".
France has endured a recent messy breakdown in relations with some former colonies in West Africa and his first-time visits to Congo, Gabon, Angola, and Congo Republic this week reflected Mr Macron's wish to turn the page.
On Monday, he outlined France's new Africa policy, saying military bases would be co-run with host nations and commercial and other interests pursued with respect and humility.
Mr Tshisekedi welcomed the new approach and said France needed to listen to what African people wanted if it hoped to compete with the continent's other would-be partners.
"Francafrique is a thing of the past," he said, referring to the murky links that sometimes saw Paris prioritise commercial gain and support autocratic regimes in former colonies.
Nevertheless, signs of tension emerged later in the press conference, when Macron appeared to suggest the insecurity in Congo since 1994 was mostly its own fault.
"Sorry to say it in such harsh terms, you have not been able to restore your sovereignty," he said.
But Mr Macron promised that France would be "faithful to its role as an unwavering ally of [DRC] to defend its integrity and sovereignty".
Eastern Congo has struggled with instability and conflicts since the 1990s that have killed millions and given rise to dozens of militias, some of which remain active.
ABC/wires
