Rwanda wrongly blamed for DR Congo insecurity, while true perpetrators go unreported - Kagame

President Paul Kagame has dismissed claims that the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) is responsible for alleged killings in eastern DR Congo, saying the atrocities are carried out by FDLR, Wazalendo militias, and the Congolese army, yet these events are not reported. Speaking to officers from the RDF, Rwanda National Police (RNP), and Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS) on Monday, August 25, President Kagame said that firsthand reports from people traveling to eastern DR Congo indicate improvements in the region since the AFC/M23 rebels took control of Goma and Bukavu and surrounding areas. ALSO READ: Kagame addresses 6,000 RDF, law enforcement officers at Gabiro “They return and tell us how things are now, and they say life is better there than before. But not everyone sees it, and that does not mean it isn’t true,” he said. He criticised foreign journalists and organizations for attributing the region’s problems to Rwanda and RDF. In a joint report released on August 6, the UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) and OHCHR alleged that the rebels killed 319 civilians and injured 169 others across four villages in Rutshuru Territory between July 9 and 21. ALSO READ: Rwanda slams 'sensational' Human Rights Watch report alleging killings in DR Congo The report further claimed that RDF, allegedly backing the rebels, “aided” in the killings. “Foreign journalists from these countries, try to portray the problems as being caused by AFC/M23 and Rwanda and the RDF. If the RDF were involved, it would not act in the way they claim,” Kagame said. “Do you remember the mercenaries and others who passed through Rwanda, who were safely escorted home? That was the RDF. If the RDF had intended to kill, they would have done so.” ALSO READ: DR Congo: European mercenaries surrender to M23, get safe passage through Rwanda Kagame stressed that the atrocities committed by FDLR, a militia founded by perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Wazalendo, and the government of the DR Congo are obvious, causing deaths and sending refugees in neighboring countries, yet these events are rarely reported. “This explains why they want it to appear like Rwanda is responsible for every problem that occurs there,” he said. ALSO READ: Rwanda slams UN allegations in 'civilian killings' in DR Congo On Rwanda’s military stance, Kagame said: “We do not start war on anyone, we fight those that have been declared against us. That is the principle and culture of Rwanda and the RDF.” The President noted that Rwanda takes in supporting others who lack security, whenever requested, to help them address their challenges. He added that Rwanda has provided support to countries such as Mozambique, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan. The Head of State noted that even DR Congo, Rwanda would have offered assistance if it had been requested. “Instead, what they did was bring problems to us and blame us as the cause. If they had sought genuine cooperation to ensure their security while we safeguarded our own, that has always been our goal—though, of course, things do not always unfold as one hopes,” Kagame said.

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Rwanda wrongly blamed for DR Congo insecurity, while true perpetrators go unreported - Kagame