Rwandan President Paul Kagame has sharply criticized international sanctions imposed on Rwanda’s military and senior commanders over the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Kagame said at a press conference on August 24 that the sanctions have worsened existing problems without addressing why the conflict persists. “Instead of sanctioning the FDLR or those who work with them or support them, they sanction those who fight them. I mean, I don't understand the logic,” he said, according to the Rwanda-based The New Times.
His remarks come as the DRC accuses the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels and Rwandan troops of committing “odious crimes”, including the killing of more than 300 civilians between June and July.
The president also condemned a July disarmament protocol signed between the DRC government and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Hutu militia formed by perpetrators and supporters of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
He said the deal underscores links between Kinshasa and the FDLR, contradicting DRC claims that it is taking action against the group. “They [DRC] are saying they have done something about FDLR. It is because they [FDLR] are there. If they were not there, they wouldn't be doing anything,” Kagame said.
Rwandan officials have previously dismissed the protocol as a tactic by the DRC to delay implementation of commitments under a US-led peace process, the Washington Accords, which require the neutralisation of the FDLR. Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe called the move a “delaying maneuver” and accused Kinshasa of intensifying military support for the FDLR and integrating its fighters into the Congolese army.
The DRC government, in a statement issued on August 24, accused the Alliance Fleuve Congo/M23 (AFC/M23) and Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) personnel of involvement in summary executions, massacres, bombardments, sexual violence, torture, kidnappings and forced recruitment.
A new roadmap sets out conditions toward peace in eastern DRC, but disagreements over M23 rebels and Rwanda’s role continue to undermine progress. International partners are pressing Kinshasa for a realistic operational plan and calendar for FDLR neutralisation, after the July protocol was dismissed by Kigali as a non-event. According to MONUSCO, between March and June 2026 alone, 632 civilians lost their lives due to the conflict in North Kivu and Ituri.
