The community's statement, issued on March 12, 2025, argues that such punitive measures undermine African-led initiatives and instead embolden the DRC government's pursuit of military solutions, sidelining diplomatic efforts that would address the root causes of the conflict.
The community highlights the damaging impact of the decision, noting that it shifts focus away from addressing critical regional issues and instead fuels the advocacy for Western sanctions and boycotts against Rwanda, as articulated by President Tshisekedi.
"This is evident in President Tshisekedi's persistent advocacy for Western sanctions and boycott against Rwanda instead of engaging in African-led initiatives," the statement reads.
The Rwandan community further urges the German government to adopt a fact-based diplomatic approach and support ongoing African-led initiatives to find lasting solutions for the DRC conflict.
In the statement, they underscore the historical roots of the crisis in Eastern DRC, which can be traced back to the 1884-1885 Berlin Conference, where Germany played a pivotal role in dividing African territories without regard to indigenous communities.
The artificial borders that were drawn during this period have left many Rwandophones on the Congolese side, leading to generational marginalization and persecution.
'The origins of the crisis in Eastern DRC can be traced back to the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, in which Germany played a decisive role in partitioning Africa without regard for indigenous communities,' the community emphasizes.
The statement also critiques the international community's failure to resolve the crisis, particularly after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
Instead of disarming genocidal militias, the international community turned a blind eye, allowing these militias to reorganize in refugee camps that later became breeding grounds for violence.
This led to the formation of the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR), a genocidal terrorist group responsible for continuing violence against Rwanda and Rwandophones in the DRC.
"These camps later became strongholds of genocidaires militias and defeated army that later, with the support of the then Zaire government, gave birth to the FDLR," the statement notes.
Moreover, the Rwandan community highlights the continued persecution and genocidal rhetoric aimed at Rwandophones in Eastern DRC. This has manifested in violent pogroms against Rwandophones in 2023 and 2024, where graphic videos showed individuals being executed and burned alive in Goma and Bukavu.
'Acts of cannibalism have also been recorded,' the community asserts, condemning the Congolese government's complicity in such atrocities.
The statement further condemns the Congolese government's direct encouragement of genocidal violence, including the armed creation of ethnic militias like the Wazalendo, which are responsible for terrorizing populations in the Kivu region.
The Rwandan community also draws attention to the DRC's failure to address its internal governance issues, instead using Rwanda as a scapegoat for its ongoing ethnic violence.
"Instead of addressing internal governance failures, the DRC government has consistently shifted blame onto Rwanda, accusing it of aggression while continuing to fuel ethnic violence and harbor genocidal militias," reads the statement.
In light of these concerns, the Rwandan community calls on the German government to reconsider its decision and engage more constructively in the region.
They urge the German government to hold the DRC accountable for its actions, particularly its failure to disarm genocidal militias like the FDLR, and for its failure to protect Rwandophones, who have been subjected to violence and persecution for decades.
The Rwandan community also underscores the security concerns that Rwanda faces from the DRC. The continued presence of the FDLR, which still operates freely in Eastern Congo, remains a serious threat to Rwanda's security.
The statement highlights the joint military collaboration between FARDC (the Congolese army) and FDLR fighters, which poses a direct threat to Rwanda.
"Rwanda has repeatedly warned the international community about security threats emanating from the DRC, including the direct collaboration between FARDC and the FDLR," the community notes.
'We urge the German government to reconsider its position and adopt a balanced, constructive role in ensuring peace and stability in the region,' the community concludes, affirming endorsement for Rwanda's decision to ensure the security of its borders and maintaining the security measures established to contain the threat from eastern DRC.
IGIHE
