Rwanda has reaffirmed that its national security remains non-negotiable, with Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Karuretwa declaring that the country’s defensive measures will remain in place for as long as security threats persist. Speaking during an interview with Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA) on July 5, 2026, Brig. Gen. Karuretwa stressed that Rwanda has no intention of dismantling the protective measures it has established along its border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), emphasizing that they are designed to safeguard the lives of Rwandan citizens and will continue to evolve according to the changing security environment. “We will not remove our defensive measures; we are not suicidal,” he said, underscoring Rwanda’s determination to prioritize the safety of its people above external pressure.
His remarks come amid continued calls from the United States for Rwanda to withdraw its defensive posture along the DRC border, citing the peace agreements signed between Rwanda and the DRC on June 27, 2025, and December 4, 2025. Rwanda, however, maintains that the Congolese government has yet to fulfill one of the central commitments contained in those agreements: dismantling the FDLR terrorist organization. According to Rwanda, instead of neutralizing the group, authorities in Kinshasa have continued cooperating with it, leaving the security threat intact and making it impossible for Rwanda to relax its defensive posture.
Brig. Gen. Karuretwa explained that Rwanda’s current security strategy is rooted in painful historical experience. Reflecting on the insurgency carried out by infiltrators during the late 1990s and early 2000s, he said Rwanda learned that waiting for hostile forces to reach its borders before responding exposes the country to unnecessary danger. Those experiences, he noted, fundamentally shaped Rwanda’s modern defense doctrine by encouraging a proactive approach aimed at preventing threats before they reach Rwandan territory.
“We learned important lessons during the insurgency,” he said. “Waiting until the enemy reaches our borders or our territory is something we have already experienced, and we know the consequences. We are not poor students. We examined what happened during those difficult years and made decisions about how our defensive posture should be structured so that Rwandan citizens can continue living safely without being exposed to threats originating from the DRC.”
He emphasized that every sovereign nation has both the right and the responsibility to establish defensive measures that protect its population from existing and emerging security threats. According to Brig. Gen. Karuretwa, Rwanda’s defensive posture is not static but adapts continuously to reflect changes in the regional security landscape. He pointed out that the joint military operations conducted by the armed forces of Rwanda and the DRC in 2019 against armed groups operating in eastern Congo were themselves part of Rwanda’s broader defensive strategy, demonstrating that Kigali has consistently supported cooperative security efforts whenever meaningful action was taken against common threats.
However, he argued that today’s circumstances are fundamentally different. Brig. Gen. Karuretwa stated that the current security environment has been shaped by what Rwanda describes as the Congolese government’s decision to collaborate with forces hostile to Rwanda. “When you face a situation like the one we have today—where the President of the DRC openly chooses to cooperate with our enemies in order to create security problems for Rwanda from Congolese territory—our defensive measures do not disappear; they simply adapt to the changing threat,” he said.
The RDF spokesperson described the FDLR as a terrorist organization composed of individuals who led or participated in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and who continue to promote the same extremist ideology. He explained that after the genocide was stopped, members of the former genocidal government and military fled into what is now the DRC, where they reorganized as the FDLR, established military structures, and created training camps for new generations of recruits.
Brig. Gen. Karuretwa dismissed suggestions that the threat should be viewed only through the lens of those who crossed the border in 1994, arguing that such an interpretation ignores the group’s continued growth and activities. He said the FDLR has maintained organized recruitment and training networks in areas including Pinga in Walikale, adding that these facilities are well known. “To suggest that we should only be concerned with those who crossed the border in 1994 is to ignore reality,” he said. “I do not know whether that is ignorance or deliberate denial. It is understandable when the Congolese government says such things because they work with the FDLR, even if they try to conceal that cooperation. What is truly disappointing are those who choose to believe it. The FDLR problem has not diminished—it has actually grown.”
Addressing international pressure, Brig. Gen. Karuretwa made it clear that Rwanda would not compromise its national security simply to satisfy external demands. He said Rwanda has long faced international pressure on security matters but has consistently made decisions based on the country’s legitimate security interests rather than political considerations. According to him, defensive measures will remain in place for as long as the underlying threat exists and will continue to be adjusted according to developments on the ground.
“Looking back, I do not believe there has ever been a time when Rwanda was not under some form of pressure,” he said. “Our defensive measures will remain in place and will continue evolving according to the nature of the threat. If we return to joint operations like those conducted in the past, that would certainly be welcome. But to ask us to remove our defensive measures altogether—we are not suicidal.”
As one of Rwanda’s representatives on the Joint Security Coordination Committee, which brings together officials from Rwanda, the United States, and the DRC to oversee implementation of the peace agreements, Brig. Gen. Karuretwa also revealed that Rwanda has consistently defended its security position during those discussions. He emphasized that Kigali has never accepted decisions imposed through external pressure and continues to insist that lasting peace in the region depends on addressing the root causes of insecurity, particularly the continued presence and activities of the FDLR.
Concluding his remarks, Brig. Gen. Karuretwa reiterated that Rwanda’s defensive measures are neither temporary political decisions nor negotiating tools, but carefully calibrated national security policies designed to protect the country’s sovereignty and its citizens. He stressed that while Rwanda remains open to genuine cooperation and coordinated efforts to eliminate armed groups threatening regional stability, it will not dismantle the safeguards that have helped protect the country until the security threats originating from eastern DRC are fully and credibly addressed.
