On June 27, 2025, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) signed an agreement to restore peace in the Great Lakes region, with facilitation from the United States.
The accord calls for the dismantling of the FDLR and the removal of Rwanda's defensive measures at the border, both to be completed within 90 days.
However, BBC Gahuza (the Kinyarwanda-language service of the BBC) published an article titled 'What the FDLR Says About the Washington Deal Calling for Its Elimination,' which included a summary of an open letter from FDLR leader Lt Gen Byiringiro Victor addressed to former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Minister Nduhungirehe responded sharply, stating that the BBC was providing an inappropriate platform to a group designated for dismantling by multiple international actors. He emphasized that the media must not normalize or sanitize groups responsible for past atrocities.
'It is unacceptable that this British Broadcasting Corporation continues to whitewash, sanitize, and promote the FDLR, a genocidal force that the DRC, Rwanda, the US and the larger international community have committed to neutralize,' he shared on X.
The Rwandan government has long identified the FDLR as a direct threat to national security. For years, the group has attempted to destabilize Rwanda, launching several attacks from across the border, particularly in the northwestern region.
FDLR incursions in March, May, and June 2022 were among the reasons Rwanda reinforced its border security measures. These measures, now set to be lifted under the new agreement, were implemented to prevent further cross-border threats.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/minister-nduhungirehe-criticizes-bbc-for-whitewashing-fdlr
