Speaking in an interview with the state broadcaster, Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA), on Sunday, Nduhungirehe described the DRC's actions as 'unacceptable' and indicative of a government that 'seems not to want genuine peace.'
The minister's remarks come on the heels of Rwanda's withdrawal from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) on Saturday, June 7, 2025, during the 26th Ordinary Summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
Rwanda's exit was prompted by what it called a deliberate violation of its rights under the ECCAS Treaty, particularly the DRC's move to block Rwanda's rightful turn to assume the rotating chairmanship of the organisation.
According to a statement from Rwanda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the DRC, supported by certain ECCAS member states, instrumentalised the regional bloc to impose its 'diktat,' disregarding the treaty's provision for chairmanship rotation based on French alphabetical order.
'Rwanda's right to assume the rotating Chairmanship was deliberately ignored,' the ministry's statement read.
Nduhungirehe elaborated during the RBA interview, stating that the DRC's complaint against Rwanda's alleged aggression was baseless and hypocritical, given the DRC's own role in regional instability.
He accused the DRC of supporting the FDLR, a genocidal force linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, using mercenaries in violation of international law, and orchestrating attacks on Rwandan territory, including a January shelling near Goma that killed 16 people and wounded 160.
The minister highlighted Rwanda's frustration with ECCAS's governance failures, noting that the organisation has been dysfunctional for years, with issues of unaccounted finances, lack of audits since 2015, and ineffective leadership.
He cited a previous incident in 2023, when the DRC, as ECCAS chair, prevented Rwanda from speaking at the 22nd Summit in Kinshasa, an exclusion Rwanda protested in a letter to the African Union that went unaddressed.
Despite withdrawing from ECCAS, the minister affirmed that Rwanda remains committed to other regional economic communities, such as the East African Community and COMESA, and to peace processes aimed at resolving the conflict in eastern DRC.
Nduhungirehe emphasised Rwanda's active participation in negotiations, including a March 18 meeting between Presidents Paul Kagame and Félix Tshisekedi in Doha, mediated by Qatar, and an April 25 declaration of principles signed with DRC's Foreign Minister Kayikwamba in Washington.
The talks are part of ongoing efforts toward a broader peace agreement to be finalised at the White House in the United States.
'It's strange and unacceptable that, while we are on the path of peace, the DRC is going around accusing Rwanda and calling for sanctions,' Nduhungirehe said, describing the DRC's actions as unprincipled and counterproductive to regional stability.
'It's sad to see a community of 11 member states being manipulated by a single country,' Nduhungirehe added, urging ECCAS members to recognise the organisation's flawed trajectory.
He warned that the DRC's behaviour risks derailing delicate peace negotiations, particularly as tensions persist over the M23 rebellion in North and South Kivu provinces.
Rwanda has repeatedly denied Kinshasa's allegations of supporting M23, instead pointing to the DRC's collaboration with the FDLR as a primary driver of the conflict and a direct threat to Rwanda's security.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
