President Paul Kagame, on Friday, July 4, said he is thankful for US President Donald Trump’s administration in brokering a peace agreement between DR Congo and Rwanda that addresses key matters of the conflict. He added, however, that the agreement signed in Washington DC on June 27 will succeed only if Rwanda and DR Congo honour their commitments. ALSO READ: Rwanda-DR Congo peace deal: Dismantling FDLR first thing to do – Nduhungirehe Speaking to journalists on Friday, July 4, on the occasion of 31st anniversary of Liberation, Kagame said Rwanda is serious, honest and looks forward to implementing the agreement. The agreement signed on June 27 entails the neutralization of the FDLR, a genocidal militia founded by remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and the lifting of Rwanda’s defensive measures. It builds on the declaration of principles signed in Washington on April 25. The agreement runs in parallel with Qatar-hosted talks involving the Congolese government and AFC/M23, which is critical to complementing the peace deal. Kagame said that in brokering this peace agreement, the Trump administration looked at a combination of these three key matters, the political, security, and economic aspects of the conflict – something which was ignored by previous administrations or other countries that sought to intervene. “When different administrations handled this matter, it was like there was less care for how to deal with this matter than we have now, because for them, it would just be M23, sanctions, and that's it.” He noted that the agreement was reached as the parties recognised the need to make concessions. “I think there is a chance that we may get somewhere with that [agreement,” Kagame said. “I am thankful for President Trump's decision, and by the way, even if it doesn't work, I don't think they should be the ones to be blamed. They are not the ones to blame, because in the end, they are not the ones to implement what we have agreed... It's our task in the region to implement that. DRC and Rwanda to implement their part of the bargain in the agreement.” ALSO READ: AFC/M23 says Rwanda-DR Congo deal ‘tiny’ part of solution He, however, added that it helps if the U.S. administration remains close by to follow up as they have some leverage over the matter. He reiterated that Rwanda was committed to honouring its commitments. You will never find Rwanda at fault with implementing what we have agreed to do, he said. But if the side we are working with plays tricks and takes us back to the problem, then we'll deal with the problem like we have been dealing with it. There are no two ways about it. But we are serious, we are honest and we look forward to implementing what we agreed to do and to eliminate the problem. Rwanda was never to blame The Head of State emphasized that Rwanda was never to blame for DR Congo problems as has been the narrative by many, including the UN group of experts who continue to make reports that do not reflect the situation on the ground. “These reports were written long ago when they were being given the mission. So, they just come to make sure that everything conforms to that as of origin. That's why you always find it's all others guilty in this situation of different things, except the actual perpetrators.” He criticized how the narrative is always about Rwanda-backed M23 but never mentions the Kinshasa-backed FDLR, “you will never find where they write anything comprehensively about how government institutions are connected with the FDLR in spreading hate ideology, genocide ideology, things that are being done in broad daylight for everybody to see.” “You cannot blame us for the start of this conflict, because everybody knows where this conflict started from, and by whom, and it has nothing to do with Rwanda,” he said, noting that the M23 came from Uganda, but it was not made Uganda’s problem. He noted that Rwanda’s problem is simple and twofold. The genocidal militia, FDLR, which continues to threaten Rwanda and the other is the Kinshasa regime uprooting its own people from their ancestral homes and becoming refugees in Rwanda. “Rwanda has nothing to do with how Kinyarwanda-speaking people went to Congo. We cannot be blamed for that, but they have been killing people in broad daylight, they have been moving them from their homes and making them refugees here.” “The matter is simple. If you don't play games, if you don't allow genocide ideology to take over the region, then things can be addressed.”
