Amid region-wide efforts to de-escalate rising tensions between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwandan Minister for Foreign Affairs Vincent Biruta said Kigali “will not sit idly by,” warning that it has “the right to respond to protect the security of the country.”
Lambasting the DRC over its “failure to implement” suitable measures to ensure security and stability in the region, Biruta said at a press briefing on Tuesday that “if the attacks continue,” Rwanda will duly retaliate and has “the means to do that.”
WATCH: "#Rwanda has the right to respond and we have means to do that," - Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs @Vbiruta commenting on #DRC provocations. pic.twitter.com/zDgtHHKwIE
— Richard Kwizera (@Muzungu4) May 31, 2022
He added that Kinshasa had shown a “lack of political will” by allowing a “proliferation in Eastern DRC of armed groups in general” that have caused “untold suffering to the people” and “perpetuated insecurity” in the region for nearly three decades.
This comes against the backdrop of a telephonic conversation between Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his Congolese counterpart Félix Tshisekedi on Monday to discuss a “peaceful solution” to bilateral disputes.
Je remercie les Pdts Tshisekedi et Kagame pour nos entretiens téléphoniques d’hier et aujourd’hui dans la quête d’une solution pacifique du différend entre la RDC et le Rwanda. J’encourage le Pdt Lourenço, Pdt de la CIGL à poursuivre ses efforts de médiation dans ce sens.
— Macky Sall (@Macky_Sall) May 30, 2022
African Union (AU) Chairperson and Senegalese President Macky Sall had earlier appealed for “calm and dialogue” between the two countries as the two levelled allegations at each other for instigating violence and supporting rival rebel groups.
Sall also urged the Angolan President João Lourenço to continue “mediation efforts” in his capacity as the current Chairperson of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).
Les deux chefs d'État ont eu un entretien de plus de 2 heures.
— Présidence RDC 🇨🇩 (@Presidence_RDC) May 31, 2022
Ils ont parlé de la situation à l'Est de la RDC dans le cadre d'une médiation menée par le Président angolais, président en exercice de la CIRGL, pour un règlement pacifique du différend entre Kinshasa et Kigali. pic.twitter.com/DXaEPMTTnv
Tensions flared up on Saturday as DRC summoned the Rwandan Ambassador Vincent Karega to express its grievances over Kigali’s support for the M23 rebels. It subsequently suspended RwandaAir flights with “immediate effect.”
Meanwhile, the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) has accused the Democratic Forces for Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a rebel group in the DRC, of abducting two of its soldiers along the Rwanda-DRC border. Authorities had also earlier demanded an investigation into incidents of cross border shelling allegedly carried out by the Congolese army along with the FDLR.
In his press briefing yesterday, Biruta alleged that the kidnapped RDF soldiers had been interrogated in “questionable conditions” in the presence of MONUSCO and urged it to “act responsibly” under its mandate to fight “all armed groups.”
“Rwanda is extremely concerned by the military cooperation between FARDC and FDLR.
— Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA) (@rbarwanda) May 31, 2022
We urge the UN through MONUSCO to not stand by and watch this alliance between FARDC and FDLR continue.” - Ambassador @claverGatete speaking at a Security Council briefing on the situation in DRC pic.twitter.com/4aL7uGw7Ql
Furthermore, he expressed grave concern over the “blatant resurgence of anti-Rwanda hate speech and calls for genocide,” which he said has been propagated by DRC’s officials and politicians. Biruta lamented that this has been met with “silence from the international community,” remarking that it is “a very disturbing factor that should be of global concern.”
On Monday, hundreds of Congolese citizens staged “Anti-Rwanda” demonstrations against Kigali’s alleged support for the M23 rebels, with Pasi Nkoy from the Union for Democracy and Social Progress party claiming “we support the FARDC (the Congolese army), our youths are ready to do military service to defend the country.”
The two countries have held tense ties since the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which led to a massive influx of Rwandan Hutus into the DRC. Rwanda argues that the FLDR, which it claims is backed by the armed forces of the DRC, is made up of Hutus who are guilty of slaughtering thousands of Tutsis.
@claverGatete: Rwanda categorically rejects the allegations by DRC that Rwanda supports M23. This is unfounded and unacceptable.
— Mission of Rwanda UN 🇷🇼 (@RwandaUN) May 31, 2022
Rwanda remains committed to existing bilateral, regional, and international efforts to stabilize the region through established regional initiatives.
On the other hand, the M23 Tutsi rebel fighters claim that they are merely fighting back against the FLDR Hutu insurgents.
The UN says that the conflict between the two groups has displaced over 72,000 people so far.
Despite these tensions, however, Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya has reiterated that Congo is “not closing the door to negotiations.”
Min. @Vbiruta held a press conference.
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Int'l Cooperation (@RwandaMFA) May 31, 2022
The key note, #Rwanda is not interested in a crisis: "We are committed to peace, stability & economic development of our region and wish to continue working with the DRC bilaterally, and through the established regional initiatives." pic.twitter.com/EQCfRgEUGq
Likewise, during the media briefing, Biruta stressed that Rwandans “don’t want any more war” and remain committed to “peace, stability and the economic development” of the region. He called on the DRC authorities to participate in the “Nairobi dialogue to seek a solution to the security problem and find a definitive solution” to the armed groups.
In fact, Government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo said last week that “while it would be legitimate for Rwanda to respond to the repetitive attacks of FARDC on our territory,” the country wishes to “collaborate” with its neighbors on dealing with insecurity in the region.