Nduhungirehe: To dissolve the FDLR, DR Congo needs to demonstrate political will
Olivier Nduhungirehe, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, has stated that while the two governments prepare to implement a peace deal struck in late June, DR Congo must demonstrate political determination to disband the FDLR force.
In accordance with the agreement struck in Washington, DC, Nduhungirehe emphasized that Rwanda’s defensive measures will continue until the genocidal militia is neutralized as he presented the agreement to Parliament for approval on Tuesday, July 29.
A unanimous majority of 76 members of the Chamber of Deputies supported the June 27 peace deal, which aims to bring peace back to the Great Lakes region.
Among other things, the US-brokered accord calls for the withdrawal of Rwanda’s defensive measures in order to neutralize the FDLR, a militia that was established by former members of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. For almost 25 years, the terrorist organization that has been sanctioned by the US and the UN has attacked Rwandan land.
Nduhungirehe informed lawmakers, who had inquired about the status of the deal since it was signed, that “we have not seen any political will from Congo up to this point.” “The actual test will be how well the deal is implemented, even if both of us and they signed it. There, the truth will come to light.
31 years after the Genocide, which killed over a million people, he emphasized that the Kinshasa-backed FDLR still poses a major threat to Rwanda’s security.
The fact that FDLR continues to operate in eastern DR Congo is intolerable. Its demolition has been called for in more than 20 UN Security Council resolutions and has been repeatedly condemned internationally,” he said.
Even though the UN peacekeeping force (MONUSCO) has been in the area for the last 26 years, he continued, “the Congolese government has consistently supported the FDLR.” MONUSCO has not succeeded in breaking apart the gang.
Nduhungirehe stated, “We are cautiously optimistic” about the peace agreement’s execution, as Rwanda looked to it because previous agreements had failed to address the long-standing issue due to Congolese officials’ failure to fulfill their obligations.
Nduhungirehe reaffirmed that Rwanda is justified in maintaining its defensive security posture. The Concept of Operations made it obvious that Rwanda’s actions are solely defensive. Until the FDLR, the rationale behind their implementation, is eliminated, these will not be removed.
In October 2024, in Angola, Rwandan and Congolese authorities agreed on the Concept of Operations for the Neutralization of FDLR (CONOPS) as part of the Luanda Process, which was supported by the AU and subsequently promoted by Angolan President João Lourenço.
Constructed by the security and intelligence services of both nations and approved by the foreign ministers in the capital of Angola, the CONOPS was taken into account in the Washington peace deal.
