NAIROBI, Kenya, May 16 — Rwanda has strongly rejected renewed accusations by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that it is fueling unrest in eastern Congo, dismissing the claims as “misplaced” and a distraction from what it terms Kinshasa’s internal governance failures.
The response comes after Congolese Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner accused Rwanda of violating Congolese sovereignty and supporting violence against United Nations peacekeepers in the conflict-ridden region.
Wagner made the remarks during an interview with Germany’s Deutsche Welle earlier this week, asserting that Rwanda continues to undermine peace efforts despite being a major contributor to international peacekeeping missions.
In a rebuttal, Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo accused the Congolese government of destabilizing its own country by supporting armed groups and breaching peace agreements.
“The Congolese Foreign Minister’s outrage is misplaced and cannot mask the Congolese government’s failure to protect its own citizens — not against Rwanda, but against the Congolese state itself,” said Makolo.
She rejected what she described as a “false narrative” blaming Rwanda for the spiraling violence in eastern DRC, instead pointing to Congolese armed groups and their allies as the primary perpetrators of violence against civilians.
“Who is really killing? The victims are Congolese, as are the perpetrators. It is not Rwandans who are killing in Beni, Ituri, Kwamputh, Goma, Minembwe, or Uvira, but Congolese armed groups — the VDP/Wazalendo and their allies, the FARDC/FDLR — supported and financed by the DRC government,” she asserted.
Eastern Congo bombings
Makolo also denied allegations that Rwandan forces were behind bombings in eastern Congo, accusing the Congolese army of indiscriminately targeting civilians, including Banyamulenge communities and areas near the Rwandan border.
“There are no Rwandan bombs. The Congolese army is indiscriminately bombing civilians — even across the border into Rwandan territory. Who is bombing Minembwe? The FARDC and VDP/Wazalendo, targeting the Banyamulenge — the Congolese people it refuses to name,” she said.
Makolo further accused the DRC government of reneging on multiple peace accords signed in Nairobi, Luanda, and Addis Ababa, saying Kinshasa has consistently failed to honor its commitments.
“Who is violating the peace agreements? The Congolese government. At every stage, it is the DRC that is sabotaging peace efforts — by refusing dialogue and recruiting foreign mercenaries,” she said.
Undermining peace
In her interview, Kayikwamba Wagner maintained that Rwanda is undermining peace processes and contributing to violence against UN forces from the MONUSCO mission.
“We have a very large peacekeeping mission, but one of our neighboring countries — namely Rwanda — is among the biggest contributors to peacekeeping operations. Yet, at the same time, this country violates our territorial integrity and has been linked to violence against peacekeepers,” Wagner said.
Asked whether the DRC acknowledges Rwanda’s stated security concerns, Wagner was unequivocal.
“Are the tens of thousands of people who have died Congolese or Rwandan? They are Congolese. Are the women who have been raped Congolese or Rwandan? They are Congolese,” she said.
Despite the escalating rhetoric, diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict are ongoing.
According to Reuters, the United States is awaiting formal feedback from both Kigali and Kinshasa on a proposed peace agreement intended to bring an end to the long-running violence in eastern Congo.
Massad Boulos, a senior adviser on African affairs at the US State Department, said Washington has been in direct contact with both Presidents Paul Kagame and Félix Tshisekedi, who were involved in shaping the draft accord.
The negotiations come amid heightened international concern that the conflict — driven by decades of mistrust, ethnic tensions, and regional insurgencies — could expand into a full-blown regional war.
While the DRC continues to accuse Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group and violating its sovereignty, Kigali insists that Kinshasa is backing the FDLR, a militia composed of remnants of those responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Rwanda has also cited past inflammatory statements by President Tshisekedi, including his public call to “change the regime in Kigali,” which Kigali views as a direct threat to its sovereignty and regional stability.
