During a press briefing held on Thursday, July 3, 2025, Minister Kayikwamba addressed questions surrounding the peace agreement recently signed between Rwanda and the DRC in Washington. The discussion focused particularly on the FDLR and its role in the continued insecurity in eastern DRC.
When asked about her country's commitment to dismantling the FDLR, Minister Kayikwamba affirmed that the DRC is prepared to act in line with the provisions of the peace deal.
She noted that the issue of the FDLR has been repeatedly raised over the past three decades and insisted that her government is ready to resolve it.
However, she also questioned the extent of the group's threat, suggesting that its continued mention has served more as a political pretext than a pressing security concern.
She argued that any solution must begin with an honest assessment of how many FDLR members remain and the scale of the threat they actually pose.
Once that is established, she said, the matter can be resolved through various means, and the objective can be declared achieved.
In response, Minister Nduhungirehe emphasized that Rwanda would welcome any sincere efforts to dismantle the FDLR.
He pointed out that if the DRC now considers the FDLR merely an old pretext, Rwanda is equally prepared to lift Kinshasa's pretext (defensive measures), on the condition that the FDLR is genuinely and permanently neutralized.
He underscored that with political will, anything is possible, and reiterated Rwanda's readiness to respond in kind once the security threat posed by the FDLR is eliminated.
The exchange came in the wake of the peace agreement signed between Rwanda and the DRC on June 27, 2025, aimed at addressing the ongoing insecurity in eastern Congo.
The deal includes commitments to respect national sovereignty, end hostilities, disarm non-state armed groups, support the reintegration of combatants, facilitate the return of refugees, and promote regional economic cooperation.
A key component of the agreement is a joint framework for dismantling the FDLR, whose continued presence has long been a source of tension between the two countries.
IGIHE
