The Government of Rwanda has summoned the British High Commissioner in Kigali, Alison Thorpe, after a UK minister made a statement that showed “ignorance, confusion and misinformation” about conflict in eastern DR Congo. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier Nduhungirehe confirmed the summon on Thursday, February 27. ALSO READ: UK on spot over ‘ignorance, confusion’ about DR Congo crisis The development came after UK’s Minister of State for African Lord Ray Collins said he had discussed with Nduhungirehe an attack on a church in DR Congo in which 70 people were killed at the hands of an Islamic State-linked group Lubero, North Kivu province. Nduhungirehe said Lord Collins’ attempt to link Rwanda with the acts of the ADF, a DR Congo-based terrorist group from Uganda, was “insulting and unacceptable.” The ADF is one of the most violent groups operating in eastern DR Congo. “He was asked, in the House of Commons, a specific question about 70 Christians who were killed with machetes and hammers by ADF...” Nduhungirehe said of Lord Collins, “and he dares answering that ‘When I met the Foreign Minister of Rwanda this morning, he denied all those crimes happening’?” This level of ignorance, confusion and misinformation by @Lord_Collins, UK Minister of State for Africa is insulting and UNACCEPTABLE! He was asked, in the House of Commons, a specific question about 70 Christians who were killed with machettes and hammers by ADF, a Ugandan... https://t.co/Pkn9JPTNNM — Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe (@onduhungirehe) February 27, 2025 “The UK government will have to formally answer about it,” Nduhungirehe added. Rwanda has called on the UN to take action on the abuses being committed in DR Congo, especially ethnic violence targeted at the Tutsi, Banyamulenge and Hema communities. ALSO READ: Drones, MONUSCO intelligence used in Minembwe, Uvira civilian massacres, warns M23 Speaking at the 58th Human Rights Council in Geneva, on Wednesday, Nduhungirehe highlighted the plight of the Banyamulenge community in DR Congo’s South Kivu Province, where forces from a government coalition continue to kill civilians in drone attacks. The Rwandan minister said, “hate speech, persecution, lynching, and even acts of cannibalism against Congolese Tutsi have become distressingly commonplace.” He pinned the Congolese government on such crimes against humanity, giving examples of South Kivu province, where the Banyamulenge are bombed by government forces and are subject to persecutions in towns like Uvira.
