A renewed debate over security in Africa’s Great Lakes region has emerged following public remarks by former Rwandan Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Richard Sezibera, who questioned international calls for sanctions against Rwanda while the country continues to cite security threats along its border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In a public statement, Sezibera argued that every sovereign state has a responsibility to protect its territory and citizens, asking whether governments should be expected to choose between defending their people and facing international sanctions.
Rwanda has consistently identified the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) as the principal source of instability affecting its national security. The FDLR was formed by individuals linked to the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and Rwanda maintains that the group’s continued presence in eastern DRC remains the root cause of recurring insecurity in the region. According to the witnesses, the FDLR continues to promote genocide ideology, ethnic hatred, and violent extremism while seeking to destabilize Rwanda and threaten civilians living near the common border. Kigali has also repeatedly alleged that elements within the Congolese armed forces have cooperated with the FDLR.
Rwandan authorities said that preventing the infiltration of FDLR fighters into Rwanda is a legitimate exercise of the country’s inherent right to self-defense and border security under international law. Officials have consistently stated that the government has both the constitutional duty and sovereign responsibility to take all lawful and necessary measures to protect its territory and citizens from armed attacks and cross-border threats. “The safety and security of our people are non-negotiable,” Rwandan leaders have said in previous official statements, emphasizing that defensive measures are intended to prevent violence rather than escalate conflict.
The Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) and its military wing, the March 23 Movement (AFC/M23), have stated that their armed struggle seeks to protect communities in eastern DRC that they say have been denied equal citizenship, security, and political representation for many years. The movement argues that its objective is to secure recognition of the rights and safety of Congolese populations that have experienced discrimination and violence.
Rwanda has repeatedly maintained that a lasting solution to the conflict cannot be achieved without the complete dismantling of the FDLR and the elimination of the ideology that the group is accused of promoting. Officials argue that regional peace efforts should focus on permanently neutralizing armed groups, ending hate-based violence, and addressing the political and security grievances that have fueled instability for decades. “Peace will only be sustainable when terrorist organizations are dismantled and civilians are protected,” a Rwandan government spokesperson said in a previous official statement.
The United Nations, the African Union, the East African Community, and the Southern African Development Community have all called for the implementation of regional peace agreements, the protection of civilians, and the disarmament of armed groups operating in eastern DRC. While the parties continue to disagree over several aspects of the conflict, regional and international organizations have consistently emphasized that lasting peace will require dialogue among all citizens, accountability in fighting against genocide ideology, respect for international law, and effective action to address the presence of armed groups that continue to threaten security across the Great Lakes region.
