Nduhungirehe Challenges Claims That FDLR Is “Dead,” Questions DRC Commitment

Kigali / Washington - Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, has pushed back against claims that the FDLR terrorist group no longer exists, arguing that such assertions contradict the Democratic Republic of Congo’s own commitments under a recently signed Rwanda-DRC peace agreement.

Nduhungirehe was responding to remarks by Gérard Araud, a former French Ambassador to the United Nations and the United States, who suggested that the FDLR had effectively ceased to exist. Araud, who previously served in France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on security matters during the presidency of François Mitterrand, made the comments amid renewed debate over security in eastern DRC.

On November 7, 2025, Araud posted on X accusing Rwanda of using the M23 movement as a proxy to plunder natural resources in eastern Congo. In response, Nduhungirehe rejected the claim, insisting that the AFC/M23 is not a Rwandan tool, but rather a Congolese movement defending Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese, whom he said have faced marginalization and persecution since independence.

The minister recalled that the persecution of Kinyarwanda-speaking communities, particularly the Tutsi, intensified in July 1994, when members of the defeated Ex-FAR and Interahamwe militias fled into eastern Congo following the genocide against the Tutsi. He noted that these forces were evacuated under France’s Operation Turquoise and were not disarmed, laying the foundation for continued insecurity in the region.

Addressing allegations of resource plunder, Nduhungirehe said Rwanda has long accused the DRC of exploiting its own natural resources, including the so-called “3T” minerals - tin, tantalum, and tungsten. He argued that the two countries sit on the same geological formations, a reality documented in colonial-era maps, and stressed that the extraction sector in the DRC is largely dominated by Western and Asian companies.“You will not find a Rwandan company among the top 100 firms extracting precious minerals from the DRC, even during periods of war,” he said.

Araud has also alleged that Rwandan troops entered DRC territory, a claim Nduhungirehe denied, stating that Rwanda instead implemented border security measures to prevent attacks by the FDLR.“These measures are not intended to support the AFC/M23, which does not need them,” he said, “but to protect Rwanda from repeated attacks by FDLR genocidal groups, which are supported by Kinshasa.”

Despite these explanations, Araud maintained that the FDLR was no longer active, describing its members as either dead or retired. Nduhungirehe dismissed the argument, pointing to the June 27, 2025 Washington peace agreement, signed by Rwanda and the DRC with U.S. support.

Under the agreement, the DRC government committed to dismantling the FDLR, while Rwanda agreed to lift its security measures once the threat is neutralized. The accord also provides for cooperation on refugee repatriation between the two countries.

“If the ‘FDLR genocidaires are dead or retired,’” Nduhungirehe asked, “why did the DRC government agree to destroy them?” He further referenced CONOPS and OPORDs-operational plans overseen by the United States-which outline step-by-step stages for dismantling the group, from identifying bases to disarmament, capture, and reintegration.

The foreign minister concluded that the FDLR remains an active organization, rooted in genocidal ideology, and warned that 31 years after its fighters fled into the DRC, the group continues to recruit new members, posing an ongoing threat to regional stability.