Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe
KIGALI—Rwanda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, has issued a sharp public rebuke to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government, accusing Kinshasa of destructive “contradictory politics” and “dilatory maneuvers” that are actively undermining the fragile peace process mediated by Washington, D.C., and Qatar.
The Minister’s statement, delivered late Sunday, focused on the DRC’s conflicting public and private stances regarding the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda)—the genocidal militia whose neutralization is a cornerstone of the recent Washington Peace Agreement.
Conflicting Stories on the FDLR:
Keeping in mind the fact that FDLR are accused of committing the 1994 genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda, Minister Nduhungirehe highlighted a dangerous split in the DRC’s official narrative on the FDLR, demanding clarity that is essential for trust and implementation of the peace deal.
He cited two opposing narratives from high-ranking Congolese military officials:
Denial in Peace Talks:
Olivier Nduhungirehe
The Minister stated that in meetings of the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism (JSCM) held in Washington D.C., the head of the Congolese delegation, General Patrick Sasa Nzita, consistently claims that the FDLR “do not exist,” dismissing their presence as a “pretext put forward by Rwanda to invade Congo.”
General Nzita, according to Nduhungirehe, even expressed that he would have never approved the CONOPS (Concept of Operations) or signed the Washington Peace Agreement.
Affirmation on Social Media: In stark contrast, General Sylvain Ekenge, spokesperson for the FARDC (Congolese Army), recently claimed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the FDLR do exist and are located “in the part occupied today by Rwanda and the AFC/M23.” General Ekenge further alleged that the FDLR “want to surrender, but [they] are being prevented from doing so.”
Call to Action for Kinshasa:
Minister Nduhungirehe’s message to the DRC government was unequivocal: stop the contradictory statements and fully commit to the peace process.
“Will the Congolese Government one day stop these contradictory statements and these dilatory maneuvers? Will it one day put an end to this grotesque comedy to commit to neutralizing its FDLR allies, whom it has even integrated into its army, as required by the Washington Peace Agreement?” Minister Nduhungirehe asked.
The Washington Peace Agreement, signed in June, hinges on the verifiable end to all state support for the FDLR, a requirement that Rwanda ties directly to its decision to lift its defensive measures along the border.
By presenting different versions of the truth regarding the FDLR’s existence and location, the Rwandan government suggests Kinshasa is creating deliberate obstacles to avoid fulfilling its commitment to neutralize the group.
The diplomatic spat casts a new shadow over the ongoing negotiations in both Washington D.C. and Doha, Qatar, raising concerns that the current peace efforts could collapse due to a lack of political will and transparent action from the DRC.
