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DRC plans to invade Rwanda using genocidal militia
The Congolese government has
declared that it is committed to attack and annex Rwanda. Newly appointed
Congolese defence minister Kabombo Muadiamvita made the statement publicly on
June 11 when he said that the Supreme Commander of the Congolese armed forces,
FARDC, President Félix Tshisekedi, gave guidance on “the progress of
operations” and encouraged Congolese soldiers for their victory until “the
annexation of Rwanda”.
The minister made the
statement after more than 300 new FDLR combatants completed accelerated
military training on May 22 in Ruhinzi, Masisi territory. The current
coordinator of the Programme Désarmement Démobilisation, Relèvement
Communautaire et Stabilisation (P-DDRCS), Joseph Sukisa Ndayambaje, represented
Kinshasa, at the pass out to encourage them in their commitment.
The FDLR is a militia group
formed by remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi
in Rwanda.
Related: FDLR,
Wazalendo in military training sponsored by Tshisekedi
The FDLR poses an existential
threat to Rwanda’s security and integrity.
The collaboration between
FARDC and FDLR is not new. It has existed ever since the 1990s, when the
remnants of the genocidal forces including ex-FAR and Interahamwe militia,
found sanctuary in the eastern DRC. Supported and armed by successive Congolese
governments, FDLR’s aim is to attack Rwanda and overthrow the current
democratically elected government.
An October 2022 report by
Human Rights Watch noted that the Congolese army supplied arms and ammunition to
FDLR. One FDLR fighter said: “It’s the government [troops] that would always
provide us with ammunition. They also gave us uniforms and boots.”
Related: Genocidal
militia integrated in FARDC: Wazalendo operating under FDLR command
Tshisekedi has, on various
occasions, threatened to attack Rwanda, a serious threat that Kigali cannot
ignore.
During his election campaign,
in 2023, Tshisekedi said he would declare war on Rwanda, if re-elected.
"If you re-elect me and Rwanda persist. I will request parliament and
Congress to authorize a declaration of war. We will march on Kigali," he
said in December 2023, in his final campaign rally.
He also claimed Rwandans
“needed” his “support to liberate themselves,” comments that were perceived as
an attack on Rwandan leaders.
Responding to concerns about
Tshisekedi’s provocative statements, Rwandan President Paul Kagame affirmed the
seriousness of the threats and the need for vigilance.
He highlighted the potential
dangers posed by inflammatory rhetoric and stressed the importance of proactive
measures to safeguard Rwanda’s security.
In late March in an interview
with Jeune Afrique, President Kagame stated, “Why wouldn’t I take it seriously?
I don’t think he even has the incapacity to understand the implications of what
he is saying as the leader of the country. For me, that in itself is a problem.
It is a very serious problem I
need to prepare for and take care of. That means one night he can wake up and
do something that you never thought normal people would do”.
Rwanda’s response to perceived threats reflects its commitment to maintaining national security and stability in the face of external challenges. The government of Rwanda has repeatedly called on the Congolese government to address the conflict in the eastern part of DRC through political means, which would lead to lasting peace, to no avail.
