On September 11, 2025, members of the European Parliament, including Mariani, passed a resolution urging Rwanda to release the so-called politician Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, who is being prosecuted for crimes, including plotting against the government.
Mariani urged the EU to intensify criticism of Rwanda and demand the release of Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza by suspending all cooperation with Kigali.
In response, Minister Nduhungirehe posted on X a photo showing Mariani alongside Bashar al-Assad, who was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians under his regime in Syria, and another photo of Mariani with President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Accompanying the images, the Minister highlighted that after Assad was removed from power in December 2024, Mariani faced financial difficulties due to his ties with the former Syrian leader. He then quickly aligned himself with President Tshisekedi to secure financial support.
"I have an impression that it was your wallet that ran dry after the fall of a very democratic Bashar al-Assad, whom you served with zeal. So it became necessary to quickly patch the gap with the generosity of another similar regimeâ€"one that violates the fundamental rights of its citizens, as if you love them…" he posted on X.
Mariani, founder of the party La Droite Populaire, affiliated with Rassemblement National, is known as one of the far-right MPs who have long targeted the Rwandan government, collaborating with the DRC leadership to accuse Rwanda's forces of supporting the M23 armed group.
The Rwandan government has repeatedly dismissed these allegations as baseless, explaining that they were fabricated to cover up the mismanagement and abuse of power by the DRC authorities.
IGIHE
