Olivier Nduhungirehe, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, has criticised DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi for repeatedly undermining regional peace efforts, saying the Congolese leader has already breached the Washington Accords signed with President Paul Kagame last week.
Speaking in an interview with the national broadcaster, Nduhungirehe said the latest violation stems from ongoing military operations in South Kivu, where FARDC forces, Burundian troops, and Wazalendo militias, including the FDLR, have launched attacks on Banyamulenge communities and the AFC-M23 positions since early December.
According to him, Tshisekedi’s actions reflect a longstanding pattern of disregarding regional agreements and obstructing peace processes, including the Nairobi and Luanda frameworks.
Nduhungirehe recalled that the Nairobi process, designed to facilitate dialogue among Congolese groups within the East African Community, stalled after Tshisekedi chose to exclude the M23 from the discussions.
“He effectively brought the process to an end,”the minister said.
Despite the setback, EAC states pressed ahead with mediation efforts and deployed a regional force that secured a ceasefire in March 2023. That truce remained in place until Tshisekedi ordered the withdrawal of the regional troops in December of the same year.
Nduhungirehe also pointed to challenges with the Concept of Operations (CONOPS), a mechanism intended to guide the neutralisation of the FDLR and enable Rwanda to ease its defensive posture. He said the process could not advance because the Congolese leader refused to engage directly with M23 representatives.
According to the minister, Tshisekedi sought US involvement, expecting a favourable outcome, but was taken aback when Washington pursued what he described as a more balanced approach.
Nduhungirehe added that even after signing the Washington Accords on December 4, the Congolese president returned to Kinshasa and made inflammatory remarks, a behaviour he said was consistent with past rhetoric.
He cited Tshisekedi’s 2023 threats against Rwanda, including statements about targeting Kigali and encouraging Rwandan youth to overthrow their government.
He further noted that DR Congo had previously agreed to a ceasefire that took effect on August 4 last year, only for Kinshasa to escalate military activities shortly after by bringing in additional Burundian troops and foreign mercenaries.
Calling the posture “strange and cynical,” he questioned how a government that routinely violates ceasefires could accuse others of doing the same.
Nduhungirehe also criticised the international community for what he described as selective attention to the crisis.
He said Kigali had repeatedly warned partners about continued attacks in eastern DRC, yet little was said until the AFC-M23 responded militarily.
“In any conflict, when one side is attacked continuously, it inevitably reacts. So it is puzzling that the world seems to take notice only at that point, despite weeks or months of prior escalation,” he said.
