Jacquemot claimed that the Tutsi population in eastern DRC was not indigenous to the area but was relocated there from various regions in the 1930s while Rwanda was under German and Belgian colonial rule. Nduhungirehe categorically dismissed this assertion as false.
Speaking to Radio France Internationale (RFI), Jacquemot alleged that the majority of people living in eastern Congo were Tutsi, who had supposedly been moved there during the 1930s.
In response, Nduhungirehe, writing on X (formerly Twitter), refuted the claim, clarifying that by 1930, Germany had long ceased its colonial rule over Rwanda and Burundi, having lost control after its defeat in World War I. He emphasized that Rwanda and Burundi were placed under Belgian administration in 1920.
He further emphasized that the Tutsi people in the DRC were not brought from various regions in the 1930s, as Jacquemot suggested, but were native to the land they had inhabited long before that time.
The minister explained that the Tutsi in the DRC are indigenous to the territory that was taken from Rwanda in 1910 during a meeting between Belgium, Germany, and Britain, which drew borders and decided the fate of the region.
He pointed out that the people in the eastern DRC share the Kinyarwanda language, culture, and traditions, with many place names, mountains, and rivers also bearing Kinyarwanda names. The native people in the area have long been connected to Rwanda through history, he added.
Amb. Nduhungirehe noted that while some Rwandans were forcibly taken by Belgian colonists between 1920 and 1950 for labor in the mining sector, it did not change the fact that there were many indigenous Rwandans living in the DRC who were deeply connected to their ancestral lands.
The minister also addressed another falsehood spread by Jacquemot, who claimed that the M23 group was seeking to control the coltan mines in Rubaya, a region in the DRC that reportedly produces 20% of the world's coltan. Jacquemot alleged that the minerals are processed in Rwanda before being exported to Asia, Europe, and North America with different labels.
Nduhungirehe countered these claims, referencing research by Bojana Coulibaly, who found that the mines in Rubaya were still being worked with traditional methods, with no roads connecting the area to Goma. He questioned how the mines could possibly produce 20% of the world's coltan without the use of modern mining technology.
He reaffirmed that the coltan mining in Rubaya is conducted by local communities who speak Kinyarwanda, and while the area was once controlled by militia including, no such military presence currently reported there.
Turning to Rwanda's own mining sector, Nduhungirehe noted that Rwanda has been rich in precious minerals for decades, a fact uncovered during colonial times and continued after independence. Research conducted during both colonial and post-colonial periods has revealed that 52 areas in Rwanda contain valuable minerals, with mining already underway in some of these regions.
The minister stated that Rwanda is one of the world's leading producers of coltan, with the country accounting for 22.4% of global sales in 2024, second only to the DRC, which contributed 40.2%. Rwanda's mining industry follows both national and international laws, ensuring that minerals meet the required standards for international trade.
Nduhungirehe further pointed out that there are currently 136 licenses issued to 99 mining companies in Rwanda, as well as licenses for 18 companies engaged in mineral research and 76 companies involved in trading and processing. The minister stressed that Rwanda's mining sector operates within the boundaries of the law, with proper documentation and traceability for international markets.
In response to Jacquemot's misleading statements, Nduhungirehe emphasized that individuals like him who use international media to spread lies about the Great Lakes region are attempting to cover up the true beneficiaries of the valuable minerals in the DRC.
IGIHE
