Kigali – Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, criticized his Burundian counterpart, Edouard Bizimana, after Bizimana said that the FDLR was being used as a pretext to conceal the real causes of the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a message posted on X on Sunday, September 13, 2026, Bizimana described the FDLR as “a pretext used to conceal the real reasons behind the war waged against the Congolese people.”
Nduhungirehe responded by reminding Bizimana of his responsibilities within the African Union (AU), noting that the continental organization has repeatedly supported decisions calling for the dismantling of the FDLR.
“I would like to remind everyone that Édouard Bizimana is not only Burundi’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, but also the Chairperson of the African Union Executive Council,” Nduhungirehe said.
Nduhungirehe said that Bizimana should be familiar with the decisions adopted by the organization he currently leads regarding the FDLR.
“If he does not read the documents of the organization he leads, let me remind him that the African Union has adopted numerous resolutions condemning the genocidal FDLR armed group and calling for its disarmament and the repatriation of its members to their countries of origin,” he said.
Nduhungirehe also reminded his Burundian counterpart of the AU’s role in supporting the peace agreement signed in Washington.
“I would also remind him that the AU, through its mediation efforts, unequivocally supported the Washington Agreement, which was signed in the presence of President Évariste Ndayishimiye,” he said.
Nduhungirehe noted that under the agreement, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo committed itself to dismantling the FDLR. He questioned why Bizimana would downplay the seriousness of the issue when Burundi was not itself a signatory to the agreement.
“How is it possible that Édouard Bizimana, whose country did not sign this agreement, can come forward and say that the FDLR is a ‘pretext’?” Nduhungirehe asked.
Nduhungirehe went on to allege cooperation between Burundian forces and the FDLR in eastern DRC, while criticizing Bizimana for continuing to argue that the armed group does not constitute a significant problem.
“It is regrettable to see the Chairperson of the AU Executive Council, whose country’s forces cooperate with the FDLR in eastern DRC, continuing to deny the existence of a genocidal armed group that has repeatedly been condemned by the organization he leads,” Nduhungirehe said.
He concluded by saying that the African Union should exercise greater care when selecting individuals entrusted with leadership responsibilities within its institutions.
This is not the first time Bizimana has argued that the FDLR does not constitute a major threat to Rwanda. During an interview broadcast in August 2026, he said the armed group had never launched an attack against Rwanda.
“The FDLR has never attacked Rwanda. It has been talked about for more than 30 years, but the group has never carried out an attack inside Rwanda. Since 1996, there have been military operations, working together with the Congolese government to fight them […] We cannot support the FDLR because we know that it serves no useful purpose,” Bizimana said.
According to Bizimana, the FDLR, which has operated in eastern DRC for more than three decades, appears to become a significant issue depending on who raises it. In his view, when Rwanda raises the matter, it is being used as a “pretext.”
However, dismantling the FDLR is one of the central provisions contained in the Washington peace agreement signed between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. International actors have also continued to call for concrete measures to dismantle the armed group.
Bizimana’s history of posts on X indicates that the FDLR and Rwanda are among the subjects on which he has frequently expressed strong views. Before joining the government, he had written that the FDLR was no longer a significant threat to Rwanda and was instead being used as a pretext.
