Rwanda has told the United Nations Security Council that the country remains committed to the Luanda roadmap and its implementation as elaborated in the DR Congo-Rwanda Joint Permanent Commission for implementation of the roadmap. Speaking at the United Nations Security Council session on ‘the situation concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo,’ Rwanda’s Ambassador to the UN, Clever Gatete, said that Rwanda took note of the Secretary General’s report, particularly the comprehensive coverage of the effects caused by domestic and foreign armed groups in the Eastern DRC. “This report comes at a time when the East Africa Community Regional Force is being deployed to implement the Nairobi Process. Implementing the two tracks of the Nairobi Process provides solid ground for ending the presence of foreign and domestic armed groups in the Eastern part of the DR Congo,” he said. With these two processes, according to Gatete, Rwanda trusts that a sustainable solution can be implemented. DR Congo has previously accused Rwanda of supporting M23 rebel group – an accusation that Rwanda has vehemently denied. In fact, while addressing the 77th United Nations General Assembly, President Paul Kagame said that the blame game will not solve the DR Congo internal issues but rather regional mechanisms will. The President also called for the need to address DR Congo issues from the root, saying that the challenges DR Congo is facing are not insurmountable, and solutions can be found. Among the root causes of the DR Congo include the continued existence of the FDLR terrorist group which is also responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. For over the last three decades, the FDLR has made several skirmish attacks on Rwanda killing several civilians. In his address to the UN Security Council, Gatete said, “FDLR and its splinter groups continue to pose a serious threat to Rwanda. Therefore, troubling concerns arise when the FDLR and splinter groups receive support, and comfortably operate alongside DR Congo army (FARDC).” He added that, “Such treatment allows these negative forces to reorganise, recruit and conduct cross-border incursions on Rwandan territory. FARDC must stop forging alliances with hostile and sanctioned armed groups like FDLR.” The presence of FDLR in the DR Congo, according to Gatete, should never be underestimated. While speaking at the UN General Assembly, DR Congo President, Félix Tshisekedi, claimed that the FDLR had been overpowered and only a few are still remaining. However, Gatete challenged Tshisekedi saying that, “A genocide ideological group should not be evaluated numerically. No matter the size of FDLR, if the group can conduct cross-border attacks on Rwandan territory, inflict damage, kill people, and loot, it demonstrates that it is in a position to continually undermine Rwanda’s security.” In November 2019, FDLR attacked Rwanda from their base in the Eastern DR Congo killing several of its people. FDLR also shelled multiple rockets on the Rwandan territory with support from FARDC three times this year, in March, May, and again in June. “In view of these attacks, FDLR and splinter groups clearly represent a credible threat to Rwanda’s security and assertions to the contrary are disingenuous. Rwanda wishes to reiterate that the tendency of some Congolese leaders to scapegoat Rwanda for political attention only serves to deepen the anti-Rwanda sentiment and xenophobic behaviour that in turn escalates the conflict between communities in DR Congo. “If the hate speech continues, it will exacerbate the problems in Eastern DRC and further divide the country by deepening hatred and mistrust among Congolese communities,” Gatete told the UNSC. He urged the DR Congo’s attitude of always externalising the problem or blaming others will never solve internal failures. “The Government of the DRC should accept its obligation under regional agreements and implement existing signed and agreed peace arrangements. Rwanda re-affirms its support for the Nairobi process and Luanda initiative. We believe these processes are essential and complement existing regional and sub-regional arrangements to sustainably deal with the security situation in Eastern DR Congo,” Gatete said to the UNSC.
