In a candid interview with Al Jazeera, Minister Nduhungirehe highlighted the historical context of the conflict, pointing to the artificial borders drawn by colonial powers in the early 20th century, which he argues have led to the marginalization and persecution of Congolese Rwandophones, particularly the Tutsi community in Eastern DRC.
“Rwanda was a German colony, and in 1910, 1912, and 1911, there was a meeting in Brussels where Belgium, Germany, and the United Kingdom decided to draw the borders between the three countries artificially. We had part of the Kingdom of Rwanda which was given to Congo with the people, and another part was given to Uganda. Then we have people of Rwandan culture and heritage in those two countries; in DRC, which was Congo at that time, and Uganda,” Nduhungirehe explained.
“But those in Uganda never had any problem; they were integrated into society, considered as Ugandans. However, those in Congo, who have lived there since 1910, were never considered as Congolese; they were always suspected to be Rwandan. And this went on until the independence of Congo, and this marginalization under suspicion continued. In the 1970s, the then President of Zaire, which was the name of the country, President Mobutu, decided to give them citizenship, but 10 years later in the 80s, he stripped that citizenship from them, so their situation was always difficult,” he added.
The minister insisted that the continued persecution of Rwandophones in eastern Congo birthed the M23 group, which is fighting for the rights of the marginalized group.
He emphasized that the M23 is fundamentally a Congolese movement defending its community, dismissing the narrative that marginalized groups were foreigners in their own land and that Rwanda was aiding them.
“The M23 is a Congolese movement supporting and defending a Congolese community,” he stated, adding that Rwanda’s purported involvement in the conflict had been misrepresented.
Nduhungirehe was particularly vocal about the international community’s failure to address the genocide ideology propagated by the FDLR, a group sanctioned by the United Nations but still active and collaborating with the DRC government. The FDLR continues to pose a security threat to Rwanda, three decades after being involved in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
“It’s unacceptable for the government of DRC to collaborate with this group of genocidaires, the FDLR,” he noted, criticizing the bias in international reports and the lack of condemnation for atrocities committed against Congolese Tutsis.
He further accused the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, of not only failing in its mandate but also exacerbating the situation by supporting forces that include genocidal elements and mercenaries. He maintained that such actions violate international conventions.
“MONUSCO in Eastern DRC has not been part of the solution; it has been part of the problem,” Nduhungirehe asserted.
More than 280 European mercenaries recently fled DRC after being defeated by the M23 in a battle that led to the capture of Goma, the capital and largest city of the North Kivu Province. The Romanian mercenaries departed for their home country through Rwanda last week following the closure of Goma airport.
The minister also addressed the often-cited narrative that the conflict is primarily driven by mineral wealth, dismissing it as a distraction from the more profound issues of ethnic persecution and governance failures.
“This narrative of minerals as the root cause of this conflict is really a lazy and unacceptable narrative,” he remarked, stressing that the conflict’s core lies in the protection and rights of communities.
Regarding peace processes, Nduhungirehe spoke with frustration about the stalled negotiations, particularly under the Nairobi and Luanda frameworks.
He criticized the international community for not pushing for a political solution to the M23 issue, despite Rwanda’s consistent advocacy for direct talks between the DRC government and the M23.
“We have always supported a political solution to the M23 question,” he said.
Nduhungirehe’s remarks come at a time when tensions in DRC remain high following the capture of Goma and several key towns by M23.
Heads of State from the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) are expected to hold a joint crisis meeting in Tanzania later this week to chart the way forward in silencing the guns in eastern DRC.
SADC is contributing troops to the region and has, in recent days, suffered at least 14 deaths from the fight between the M23 and coalition forces allied with the Congolese government.
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Oliver Nduhungirehe has strongly criticized the international community for what he describes as a deliberate oversight of the root causes fueling the ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
