Rwandan President Paul Kagame has defended Rwanda’s stance on security in the Democratic Republic of Congo, saying the presence of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda in eastern DRC remains Kigali’s main concern.
Speaking on Friday during an extended meeting of the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front Bureau Politique in Kigali, Kagame said Rwanda has repeatedly asked both Kinshasa and the UN to dismantle the FDLR.
The group was formed by remnants of forces linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
“It only becomes Rwanda’s problem when it comes to FDLR that has to be sorted out,” Kagame said.
“Either you sort it out, you Congolese, or the UN that is deployed there. You stop them from invading our country, or we will sort it out ourselves.”
Kagame said he raised the issue directly with Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi at an early regional summit in Nairobi attended by East African leaders after the M23 rebellion resurfaced.
“I asked President Tshisekedi, ‘How has this become Rwanda’s problem? This is not something started by us,’” Kagame said.
According to Kagame, Tshisekedi admitted he knew the FDLR had a presence in rural parts of eastern Congo.
“I asked him, ‘Are you aware that those rural areas have more or less been taken over by the FDLR and that they even collect taxes?’ He hesitated and said he had heard about it,” Kagame recounted.
The Rwandan president questioned why the Congolese government continues to allow the militia to operate, despite Rwanda’s repeated offers to work jointly on eliminating the group.
“What do you think the FDLR is there doing, and why do you allow them to be there? We have asked to work with you to address that problem together. You have refused,” he said.
Kagame argued that the M23 insurgency stems from internal Congolese political and security problems, not from Rwanda.
“Every time I brought up this issue, I asked, ‘Why did you make this Rwanda’s problem?’ It is not Rwanda’s problem. It is the problem of Congo and their own people,” he said.
He also pushed back against criticism from some foreign governments, saying Rwanda would not stay silent about threats coming from across the border.
“Making people just shut up is going to be more difficult than people think,” Kagame said.
“Telling us, ‘Shut up, we will support those who want to come and kill you like they killed you last time,’ and we will handle it the way we want, the only way to make me shut up is when I am dead.”
Kagame’s remarks come as regional and international efforts push for a negotiated settlement to the conflict in eastern DRC. Fighting between the Congolese army, FARDC, and the AFC/M23 alliance has displaced millions and deepened tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali.
The Congolese government, backed by several Western countries and UN experts, has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting M23 with troops and equipment. Kigali denies the allegations.
Rwanda maintains its concern is the FDLR’s continued presence along the border and accuses Kinshasa of cooperating with the group. The Congolese government rejects those claims.