The minister's remarks followed a statement issued during the G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting in Charlevoix, Canada, held from March 12 to 14, 2025.
The G7, in its statement, accused Rwanda of supporting M23 and stated that the group's military offensive was a violation of DRC's territorial integrity. Rwanda has repeatedly denied these claims.
The bloc further urged all parties to commit to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, supporting the mediation efforts led by the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Additionally, it called for accountability for human rights abuses by all armed actors, including M23 and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a militia composed of individuals responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Reacting to the G7 statement, Nduhungirehe took to social media to dismiss it as a 'recycled formula' that ignores Rwanda's legitimate security concerns and the key root causes of the conflict in eastern Congo, including decades of persecution of Congolese Tutsi.
'These recycled formulas, forwarded from a western capital to another, 1) which minimise the support of the DRC government to the FDLR genocidal militia, 2) which overlook the security concerns of Rwanda, 3) which condoned the deployment of European mercenaries at our border, 4) which disregard the continued persecution of the Congolese Tutsi in eastern DRC, and 5) which pay lip service to the Africa-led peace process, are really tiresome," he wrote in a post on X.
He further emphasised that Rwanda remains committed to supporting the ongoing EAC-SADC peace process to find a lasting solution to the crisis in eastern DRC, despite what he termed as 'politically and/or economically motivated statements from overseas.'
The G7 forum brings together the leaders of seven of the world's advanced economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
Rwanda recently termed sanctions from some of the members as counterproductive to efforts to restore peace in eastern Congo.
FDLR threat
Rwanda has consistently accused the DRC of harbouring and supporting the FDLR, which it considers a direct security threat.
Kigali argues that the FDLR, which collaborates with the Congolese army, seeks to destabilise Rwanda and push for regime change.
Despite these concerns, international actors, including the G7, have primarily focused on Rwanda's alleged support for M23 while giving less attention to the presence and activities of the FDLR.
The conflict in eastern DRC has seen renewed violence, with the M23, which insists it is fighting for the rights of marginalised communities in eastern Congo, capturing key territories.
The group is scheduled for peace talks with the Congolese government in Angola on March 18, with the aim of resolving the conflict through a peace deal, after the military solution by Congo failed.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
