On December 12, 2025, Rwanda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Martin Ngoga, addressed the UN Security Council during a session focused on the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and broader regional security dynamics. His remarks came as the Council prepared to consider a renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and amid heightened tensions following renewed fighting in South Kivu.
Ambassador Ngoga highlighted what he described as escalating humanitarian abuses against the Banyamulenge community, a Congolese Tutsi Kinyarwanda-speaking group. He told the Council that since 2017 “over 85 percent of Banyamulenge villages in South Kivu have been destroyed” and cited specific incidents, including a 10-day ultimatum on 25 August 2025 demanding their displacement and the denial of access to water on 4 September 2025. According to Ngoga, these patterns signify “early-warning indicators of discrimination, dehumanization, forced displacement, and denial of basic services.”
Ngoga called for MONUSCO’s next mandate to reflect existing peace frameworks, asserting that the mission should be “clearly anchored in, and reinforcing of, the Washington Peace Agreement and the Doha Framework,” referring to two negotiated tracks aimed at securing long-term peace in the Great Lakes region. He emphasized the need for strict impartiality and political neutrality in MONUSCO’s operations, along with support for ceasefire implementation and political dialogue among conflicting parties.
During the same Security Council meeting, Ngoga rejected allegations of aggression by neighboring states, particularly a recent claim by Burundi that Rwanda’s actions risk provoking interstate conflict. In response, he stated: “Rwanda is not waging war against the Republic of Burundi and has no intention of doing that,” while accusing the DRC of violating the ceasefire and supporting hostile armed groups, including the FDLR (Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda) — a militia linked to the 1994 genocide.
Ngoga further decried what he described as one-sided international narratives that, in his view, overlook key drivers of conflict in the region. He insisted that reports focusing narrowly on Rwanda’s alleged support for M23 rebels ignore longstanding abuses and the complex interplay of armed actors. “Did the Security Council not know, or did it decide this issue does not matter?” he challenged his counterparts at the Council, pressing for a more comprehensive assessment of the conflict’s causes.
Throughout his remarks, Ngoga underscored Rwanda’s declared commitment to durable peace through negotiated processes and respect for international agreements. He reaffirmed Kigali’s intent to implement its obligations under peace accords, stating that Rwanda will continue to pursue political solutions and engage with international partners to stabilize the Great Lakes region. His speeches reflect Kigali’s insistence on reframing Security Council debates to include what it considers neglected security threats and humanitarian concerns.
