In a candid interview with content creator Mario Nawfal on his 69 X Minutes show, President Kagame maintained that despite the UN's 26-year presence in the DRC, it has failed to achieve any meaningful accomplishments, as the region continues to grapple with constant conflict, making much-needed peace and stability elusive.
"What did they actually come to do? To keep peace? What peace? To bring peace? What peace have they brought? Did they come to solve the security problem caused by the FDLR, which has been in Congo for 30 years? Nothing. So why are they still there?" President Kagame posed.
The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), initially established as MONUC, has been stationed in the country since 1999. Despite its mandate to stabilize the country, protect civilians, and support the Congolese government, the mission has failed to curb violence.
With an annual budget exceeding $1.13 billion and a contingent of approximately 23,000 peacekeepers, MONUSCO remains the most expensive UN peacekeeping mission.
In the interview, Kagame reiterated that the conflict in the DRC stems from the arbitrary borders drawn by colonial powers, with the Congolese government failing to recognize Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese, who found themselves within DRC territory, as its citizens.
"It was just an open space. They drew a line, left Rwanda on this side, and called the other side Congo. But this line divided families. These are the ones who are fightingâ€"the ones the government is uprooting and telling to go back to Rwanda. They are M23," Kagame explained.
The president pointed out that Rwanda currently hosts 130,000 refugees from DRC, some of whom have been in the country for over 23 years.
At the same time, the Rwandan Head of State denied claims that Rwanda is behind the conflict in eastern Congo to plunder its neighbor's mineral resources.
"If you look at a list of 100 entitiesâ€"China, Europe, the US, Canada, and so on, including all of us in the regionâ€"who are interested in Congo's minerals, Rwanda would come 100th, at the very bottom. But the situation has been framed in a way that makes it seem as though the ones least concerned about minerals are the ones responsible for the entire problem. Meanwhile, these 100 entities are the ones making billions and leaving nothing behind, yet Rwanda is made to absorb the blame," he stated.
Kagame maintained that Rwanda's primary concern in the region is the presence of the FDLR in Congo, a group composed of remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, which continues to pose a threat with its mission for regime change in Rwanda.
"The FDLRâ€"those who committed genocideâ€"went to Congo 30 years ago. They have since worked with politicians and become part of the political landscape. They cause problems for the Congolese, but their ultimate goal is to destabilize Rwanda," he said.
Kagame also criticized Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi's approach to the crisis, accusing him of harboring extremist views while refusing to engage in dialogue with the M23 rebels to resolve the escalating conflict in eastern Congo.
Kagame also questioned Tshisekedi's legitimacy, saying the said the Congolese President has never been elected.
"By the way, I don't mind how he became president. He was not elected either time. The first time, Joseph [Kabila] handed power over to himâ€"there's no question about that. The second time, he simply declared himself the winner, and everyone was told to keep quiet. But that's not my problem."
Meanwhile, in eastern Congo, M23 rebels continue to battle government forces and their alliesâ€"including the FDLR, SADC troops, the Burundian army, and various militia groupsâ€"over longstanding grievances related to the marginalization of Congolese Tutsis.
Recent territorial gains by M23 have led to the capture of strategic towns in North and South Kivu, including Goma and Bukavu.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
