Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, has voiced strong criticism of what he described as the United States’ “increasingly blatant partiality” regarding the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), while also rejecting the legal case recently filed by Kinshasa against Rwanda before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Speaking in an interview with France 24, the minister said that recent international actions have reflected an inconsistent approach to the regional crisis, pointing to what he called a contradiction in U.S. policy. According to Nduhungirehe, the United States has imposed sanctions only on Rwanda, despite U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledging that the DRC has not dismantled the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group linked to perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and which Rwanda says continues to operate in cooperation with the Congolese government. The minister’s remarks came shortly after the Democratic Republic of the Congo filed a case before the International Court of Justice on June 26, 2026.
Ambassador Nduhungirehe firmly rejected the accusations, describing the case as a political strategy intended to divert international attention from what he characterized as the Congolese government’s continued collaboration with the FDLR. He argued that the central issue facing the region is the relationship between Kinshasa and the armed group, rather than the allegations presented before the court. “This is a political diversion by the DRC, which is collaborating with the genocidal FDLR. It is President Tshisekedi and his government. The first question is: who is working with a genocidal group? Clearly, it is the Government of the DRC,” Nduhungirehe said during the interview.
The foreign minister further alleged that the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) continue military operations targeting Congolese Banyamulenge communities in the Minembwe area, which encompasses parts of the territories of Fizi, Uvira, and Mwenga in South Kivu Province, as well as other Congolese Tutsi communities. He claimed that these operations are aimed at eliminating those populations and questioned the Congolese government’s relationships with local armed groups.
Nduhungirehe also referenced former FARDC spokesperson Major General Sylvain Ekenge, asking who was cooperating with armed groups such as the Wazalendo and employing foreign mercenaries. He recalled that Ekenge generated widespread controversy after making remarks on Congolese national broadcaster RTNC advising citizens to avoid marrying Tutsi women, claiming they do not have children with people from other ethnic groups. The comments prompted criticism from several international partners of the DRC, including Belgium, which called for disciplinary action. Following the international backlash, Ekenge was suspended indefinitely.
According to the Rwandan foreign minister, a government accused of violating the fundamental rights of its own citizens and targeting communities on the basis of ethnicity lacks the moral standing to accuse another country of genocide-related crimes. He maintained that the allegations brought before the ICJ should be evaluated alongside the broader security situation in eastern DRC, including the continued presence and activities of the FDLR.
Nduhungirehe concluded by expressing confidence that the International Court of Justice and other competent international institutions would examine the evidence independently and reach their conclusions based on a comprehensive assessment of the facts. He reiterated Rwanda’s position that the Congolese government continues to collaborate with the FDLR and said that this issue deserves the same level of international attention and scrutiny as the allegations directed against Rwanda
