Addressing Council members on Friday, December 12, during a briefing on the DRC and the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO, Amb. Ngoga urged the Council to base its decisions on verified facts from the field, particularly amid worsening violence targeting the Banyamulenge and other Kinyarwanda-speaking Tutsi communities in South Kivu.
He stressed that as MONUSCO's mandate comes up for renewal, Rwanda expects a mission firmly anchored in the Washington Peace Agreement and the Doha Framework, which he described as the only viable pathways to sustainable peace.
Critics say MONUSCO has failed to stabilize eastern DRC, despite more than 20 years of UN peacekeeping and tens of billions of dollars in funding.
Amb. Ngoga said the next MONUSCO mandate must prioritise strict impartiality and political neutrality, effective support to ceasefire implementation, political dialogue, and robust compliance with human rights due diligence policies.
He cautioned against offensive operations targeting parties previously engaged in political processes and called for a realistic, resource-conscious focus on stability, accountability, and political solutions.
'MONUSCO's effectiveness will depend on how well it aligns its operations with the political tracks that offer the only viable path forward,' he said, reiterating Rwanda's commitment to fully implement its obligations under the Washington Peace Agreement.
Early warning signs of atrocity crimes in South Kivu
Turning to the situation in South Kivu, Amb. Ngoga delivered a detailed account of what he described as systematic persecution of the Banyamulenge community dating back to 2017.
He told the Council that more than 85 percent of Banyamulenge villages in South Kivu have been destroyed, while an estimated 700,000 cattle, the community's main economic lifeline, have been raided or killed.
He cited multiple incidents from 2025, including ultimatums issued by Wazalendo militias and elements of the Congolese army (FARDC) demanding that Banyamulenge civilians leave Uvira or face death, denial of access to water points, abductions, killings, and attacks accompanied by chants calling for the community's extermination.
'These are early warning indicators of atrocity crimes, discrimination, dehumanisation, forced displacement, and the denial of basic services,' he said.
Amb. Ngoga also raised alarm over the deployment of tens of thousands of Burundian soldiers into South Kivu at the invitation of the Congolese government, operating alongside FARDC, the FDLR, and allied militias.
He said coordinated military blockades imposed on Banyamulenge areas, particularly in the Minembwe Highlands, have deprived civilians of food, medicine, and humanitarian access for nearly a year.
He further highlighted repeated air attacks carried out by Congolese government forces and their allies, including drone strikes near internally displaced persons' camps in Mikenge and Nzibira, and said at least 50 air attacks were recorded between March and December this year.
'No one is speaking about this,' he told the Council, adding that Rwanda has repeatedly raised these concerns with mediators, Council members, and regional mechanisms without response.
Drawing on historical parallels, Amb. Ngoga recalled how diplomats in the same chamber spoke out during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, despite never having been on the ground, and said their courage saved lives.
'As a former investigator, I know the importance of recreating the scene,' he said, urging the Security Council to use its authority to establish the factual reality in South Kivu rather than rely on silence or denial.
He also reiterated Rwanda's long-standing concern over the continued presence of the FDLR in eastern DRC, describing it as an existential threat to Rwanda and its people, and accusing successive Congolese governments of supporting the group despite existing UN resolutions. The militia group comprises remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi who fled to eastern DRC.
Amb. Ngoga's remarks come against the backdrop of rapidly changing dynamics in South Kivu. On 10 December 2025, the rebel coalition AFC/M23 confirmed the capture of the strategic city of Uvira, marking its deepest advance in the province this year.
The group described the takeover as a liberation and accused Kinshasa of repeated ceasefire violations, hate speech, and attacks against Kinyarwanda-speaking communities. It also cited direct military involvement by Burundi and cited the prolonged blockade of Minembwe, which has forced thousands of civilians to flee, many seeking refuge in Rwanda.
Addressing the escalating situation, Amb. Ngoga stressed that Rwanda is not seeking war and has no intention of engaging in conflict with Burundi. He called for renewed international support to ongoing mediation efforts, particularly those led by the United States and Qatar, and urged all parties to implement agreed commitments in good faith.
'This conflict has gone on for too long,' he said. 'If we all commit to the Washington Agreement and fully support the Doha process, there is still a possibility for a peaceful solution.'
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