A Rwandan diplomat has said DR Congo's continued cooperation with the FDLR militia undermines efforts to build peace in the Great Lakes region. Speaking during the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, on Thursday, March 5, Edmond Tubanambazi, Rwanda’s First Counsellor to the UN Office in Geneva, said it was “deeply ironic” for DR Congo to accuse Rwanda of undermining peace in the region. ALSO READ: Amb. Bakuramutsa blames DR Congo for protracted insecurity Tubanambazi said Rwanda has spent the past three decades rebuilding from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, placing unity, reconciliation and a culture of peace at the centre of its national reconstruction. He contrasted this with what he described as DR Congo’s continued tolerance and cooperation with the FDLR, a militia whose leaders include individuals responsible for planning and executing the Genocide against Tutsi. Instead of fulfilling its responsibility to neutralise the group, Tubanambazi said, DR Congo has chosen to arm and integrate the FDLR into its armed forces. ALSO READ: UN 'is falling into trap of ethnicising DR Congo situation' - Amb. Ngoga He noted that the presence and activities of the terrorist group have been documented in reports by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Security Council. The Rwandan diplomat also criticised discriminatory remarks made on December 27, 2025, by Congolese army spokesperson Sylvain Ekenge, who targeted Tutsi women. “In a region where genocide ideology turned into mass killings, such language is dangerous,” Tubanambazi said. He added that Rwanda remains engaged in regional peace initiatives, including mediation efforts led by the African Union and the Washington Accords aimed at addressing the crisis in eastern DR Congo. “A genuine culture of peace requires responsibility, accountability, and the rejection of armed groups that perpetuate hatred and violence,” he said
