Rwanda Criticizes International Community Over Security Concerns and Killings of Banyamulenge

United Nations, New York - Rwanda has accused the international community of ignoring its security concerns and the ongoing killings of Banyamulenge civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), warning that inaction is exacerbating instability in the Great Lakes region.

Speaking on December 12, 2025, during a meeting of the UN Security Council, Rwanda’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Martin Ngoga, addressed discussions on the recent clashes between the AFC/M23 and the Congolese Armed Forces in the Rusizi Valley, South Kivu province.

Ambassador Ngoga said the renewed fighting was triggered by the violation of a ceasefire by the DRC government, Burundian forces, Wazalendo militias, the FDLR terrorist group, and foreign mercenaries. He added that Kinshasa had openly signaled its intention to breach the ceasefire, despite commitments made during peace talks in Doha, Qatar.

Ngoga stated that since 2017, Congolese forces and Mai Mai armed groups have carried out sustained attacks against the Banyamulenge community in the Minembwe region, destroying approximately 85% of their villages.

He further accused DRC, Burundian, and Mai Mai forces of blocking trade routes used by the Banyamulenge to access markets, a tactic he described as a deliberate attempt to starve the population.

According to the ambassador, airstrikes and drone attacks on Banyamulenge villages and refugee camps, including in Mikenke, have intensified in 2025, yet have drawn little international response.

“Between March and December this year, there were 15 airstrikes in this area, and no one is talking about it,” Ngoga said. “I and other members of this Council have raised this issue here repeatedly, but nothing has been done.”

He questioned whether the UN Security Council had been unaware of the situation or had chosen to ignore it, urging members to examine conditions in South Kivu prior to the latest fighting.

Ambassador Ngoga reaffirmed Rwanda’s support for sovereignty and territorial integrity, but warned that the FDLR, which he said is backed by the DRC government, poses a direct threat to Rwanda’s security.

He said the alleged support for the FDLR by Kinshasa is backed by irrefutable evidence, including multiple UN Security Council resolutions calling for the group’s dismantling.

“The existence of the FDLR undermines all of this,” he said. “The evidence is irrefutable, the resolutions are irrefutable, and the truth is that the DRC government has supported the FDLR for 30 years. The FDLR does not only threaten Rwanda’s sovereignty, it threatens its existence and its people.”

Ngoga warned that while the international community may appear indifferent to the security of Rwanda or the Congolese Tutsi communities facing violence, it should not go so far as to accuse victims of violence when they act in self-defense.

He welcomed the peace and economic development cooperation agreement signed by Rwanda and the DRC on December 4, 2025, noting that both sides committed to continue supporting political dialogue between the DRC government and the AFC/M23.

Ambassador Ngoga concluded that dialogue remains the only viable path to resolving regional conflicts, but stressed that genuine political will from all parties is essential to achieve lasting peace.