The DR Congo crisis is not like the one in Ukraine, Kabarebe tells the EU envoy

On Thursday, February 27, General (Rtd) James Kabarebe, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in Charge of Regional Cooperation, met with Johan Borgstam, the European Union’s (EU) Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, who is in Kigali on a working visit. The two had a “productive and frank” discussion about the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where a government coalition is battling the AFC/M23 rebels.

According to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement, they talked about the situation in eastern DR Congo, which Kabarebe claimed was “not comparable to the conflict in Ukraine.” He added that any attempt to make such comparisons would be politically motivated and would only serve to deflect attention from the actual problems, such as the FDLR genocidal militia’s actions.

“EU member states are well aware of the historical background of recurrent insecurity in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, including internal problems within the government, the existence of more than 200 armed groups, the systematic persecution of Tutsi communities in the country, hate speech, and, most significantly, the existence of the FDLR genocidal militia, a group sanctioned by the United Nations and the United States that is composed of perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.” According to the statement, “some people should accept their fair share of the blame as they bear direct responsibility.”

The deployment of a coalition of the Congolese armed forces, the FDLR, SADC and Burundian forces, Wazalendo ethnic militias, and European mercenaries is a threat to Rwanda’s existence, Kabarebe told the EU envoy, and it should not be dismissed.

“The EU frequently invokes the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity in relation to DR Congo, but they must also apply to Rwanda,” Kabarebe stated. “Rwanda will continue to insist on having security guarantees including the withdrawal of all foreign forces near our borders, the resolution of the M23 question, and the neutralization of the FDLR, once and for all.”

There have been more than 20 documented violations of Rwanda’s sovereignty since 2018. In order to prevent such attacks, defensive measures were implemented and will continue until these dangers are completely eliminated,” he said.

Additionally, he expressed sadness that EU foreign policy decisions were affected by regional vested interests and domestic politics rather than facts. In this instance, he added, punitive measures that violate the rights of targeted nations weaken African-led peace efforts rather than resolving the issue.

He said, “The DR Congo cannot continue to mislead the international community by calling for sanctions on Rwanda to cover up its serious human rights violations against its own citizens, its governance failures, and its well-documented and widespread corruption, including its profiteering from arms deals that further fuel its appetite for war.”

“Rwanda urges EU members to take an active role in regional peace initiatives and refrain from bringing politics into peace and security issues,” he continued.