Nduhungirehe Questions UN and AU Over Alleged Use of Mercenaries in DRC

Kigali February 11, 2026 - Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, has called on the United Nations Security Council and the African Union to clarify whether they will continue to remain silent over what he described as the unlawful use of mercenaries by the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His remarks follow reports that American security contractor Erik Prince deployed personnel to South Kivu to assist Congolese forces in efforts to retake Uvira from the M23/AFC coalition. The contractors were reportedly involved in operating drone systems during military operations. In a statement released by his ministry, Nduhungirehe argued that the recruitment and use of mercenaries constitute a violation of international law. He cited the 1977 OAU Convention for the Elimination of Mercenarism in Africa, adopted in Libreville, and the 1989 International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries, adopted by the UN General Assembly, both of which prohibit such practices. “Through the repeated use of foreign mercenaries, the DRC government is violating the norms of the international community,” the minister said, accusing Kinshasa of disregarding binding continental and international legal frameworks. He further questioned whether international institutions would continue to observe what he described as ongoing violations. “Will the UN Security Council, the African Union and the international community in general continue to remain silent while these international laws are being violated?” he asked. The Congolese government has previously faced allegations of relying on foreign fighters in its conflict with the AFC/M23. Such accusations intensified after the armed group captured Goma, where European contractors - reportedly including Romanian nationals - were seen withdrawing before returning to their home countries. Following those developments, Kinshasa is said to have turned to Erik Prince for additional security support, a move that has further heightened regional diplomatic tensions amid the ongoing crisis in eastern Congo.