Her remarks come amid long-standing international concern over alleged DRC military support for the group and ongoing instability in the region.
In a recent interview on Al Jazeera, Kayikwamba denied any government support, stating, 'We do not. They are Rwandans. They have been on our territory for the past 30 years. They have been preying predominantly on our population, not on the Rwandan population.'
International human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch, have repeatedly reported that the DRC has at times supported the FDLR depending on its political relations with Rwanda. When pressed on these accusations, Kayikwamba dismissed them: 'It isn't. You are talking about 2009 when we are in 2025.'
She also sought to downplay the UN Security Council Resolution 2773, adopted in February 2025, which condemned DRC military support for the FDLR and called for its cessation, describing such incidents as isolated cases.
'Well, if there are cases of support to the FDLR, and I think this is the important distinction we need to make, it is not state policy. We are talking about individuals. We are talking about individuals within the army. And when we have evidence of that, we also have mechanisms to hold them accountable and to sanction them,' she said.
Pressed on why the Security Council addressed the Congolese military rather than the individuals allegedly involved, she insisted: 'No, because these random members are still part of the army. And so the army is held accountable, and is held accountable to make sure that any behaviour that is not in line with its policy is sanctioned.'
She was taken to task over why the military had to issue a formal communiqué on 10 October 2025, if such cases were truly isolated. The directive warned soldiers not to collaborate with the FDLR, raising questions about how widespread such behaviour really is.
Kayikwamba responded: 'We clearly communicate to the public and to our army that any discretion will not be tolerated.'
When asked if FDLR fighters had begun complying with disarmament efforts under the Washington agreement between Rwanda and the DRC signed in June, Kayikwamba said that some are already laying down their arms through the UN programme for reintegrating former combatants into civilian life.
However, the FDLR's military spokesperson, Lt Col Octavien Mutimura, recently told Radio France Internationale (RFI) that their fighters have no intention of disarming and are prepared to fight if attacked.
"We are here to defend ourselves and protect the abandoned Rwandan refugees. Asking us to lay down our arms without honouring our request is just a dream," he said.
FDLR fighters remain active across eastern DRC, including the Walikale territory, and continue coordinating with other armed factions in offensives against the AFC/M23 rebel group, which is engaged in conflict with the Kinshasa administration.
Rwanda Defence Forces spokesperson Brig Gen Ronald Rwivanga said in June that the FDLR comprises between 7,000 and 10,000 fighters. This week, the UN repatriated 12 FDLR combatants, highlighting the slow pace of the disarmament process.
IGIHE
