Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, has criticized Congolese President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, saying he has no moral ground to ask the world to recognize “a genocide against Congolese people” while his government collaborates with groups responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Nduhungirehe made the remarks on Wednesday, September 24, shortly after Tshisekedi addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York. In his speech, Tshisekedi claimed that the violence in eastern DRC for the past 30 years amounts to “a silent genocide against Congolese,” and he urged the international community to recognize it and support his government’s fight for justice and lasting peace.
Responding to these statements, Rwanda’s foreign minister accused Tshisekedi of supporting and arming the FDLR, a militia composed of remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide, as well as other armed groups like Nyatura and Wazalendo militias. He said these groups have committed atrocities, including burning over 300 homes of Congolese Tutsi in Masisi, murdering FARDC officers, and even engaging in acts of cannibalism. Nduhungirehe further accused Tshisekedi of ignoring footage showing children being armed and ordered to kill Rwandans.
He concluded that instead of accusing others of genocide, Tshisekedi should first confront the actions of his own government and militias operating under his watch, including drone strikes on Congolese Tutsi communities. “The President of Congo must look in the mirror before accusing others of genocide,” Nduhungirehe said.
