The Rwanda government has requested the United Kingdom government to issue a public apology and correction following what it described as “false, insulting” remarks made by the UK Minister for Africa, Lord Ray Collins, about a massacre by an Islamist militia in eastern DR Congo. ALSO READ: Rwanda summons British envoy over ‘insulting’ statement by minister The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the request was made on Friday, February 28, in response to comments made by Lord Collins during a session in the House of Lords on February 26. The statement came after the Rwandan government summoned the British High Commissioner on Thursday over Lord Collins's remarks linking Rwanda to an attack by Islamic State-linked ADF terrorist group, which killed 70 people in a church in Lubero, North Kivu province. Asked about the attack in the House of Lords, Lord Collins said, “When I met the Foreign Minister of Rwanda ... he actively denied and refuted these accusations.” ALSO READ: Rwanda criticises UK for 'taking sides' in DR Congo crisis The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, condemned Lord Collins's statement, saying it showed “ignorance, confusion and misinformation” about the situation in DR Congo. “The response given by Lord Collins in the UK Parliament was false. At no point was the ADF discussed,” the ministry said in its statement, reffering to a meeting by Nduhungirehe and Lord Collins in Geneva, Switzerland. It further criticized the suggestion that Rwanda had any links to the DR Congo-based Ugandan terrorist organization, calling it “wrong and insulting.” The ministry also took issue with the broader implications of Lord Collins’ remarks, stating that his comments “mislead the public, fuel [DR Congo's] propaganda machine, and entertain conspiracy theories.” According to the Rwandan government, such statements not only distort reality but also undermine the ongoing African-led peace process for DR Congo. The Ministry said that Lord Collins had sent a private message to Rwanda’s Foreign Minister acknowledging the mistake and committed to correcting the record in the House of Lords. “A formal request has been made to the UK Government for a public correction and an official apology,” the ministry said. ALSO READ: Rwandans ‘express deep concern’ over UK's stance on DR Congo crisis The government noted its concerns about the attempt to link Rwanda to a terrorist militia, while Rwandan forces combat terrorism in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province alongside Mozambican forces. “It is particularly offensive to associate Rwanda with an ISIS-linked group when our forces are on the ground fighting against similar threats,” the ministry stated. Rwanda’s diplomatic relations with UK have hit a rock recently after the European country sought to impose sanctions on Rwanda over allegations of involvement in the conflict in DR Congo, where the AFC/M23 rebels are fighting the Congolese armed forces. The Rwandan government accused the UK of having “clearly chosen a side” in the conflict that has affected relations between Rwanda and DR Congo. Rwanda has long expressed concerns about DR Congo’s collaboration with the FDLR, a UN-sanctioned terrorist group linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The foreign ministry said UK ignored Rwanda’s security concerns in the face of a Congolese government coalition operating along its border and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi’s publicly declared intention to topple the Rwandan leaders. “It is unreasonable to expect Rwanda to compromise its national security and the safety of Rwandans,” the ministry, emphasizing the need for defensive measures taken to prevent the threat from materializing.
