Rwanda has dismissed DR Congo’s recent announcement that it reached a protocol with the Kinshasa-backed FDLR genocidal militia on disarmament, saying the focus should be on concrete action to neutralise the group rather than on new declarations. ALSO READ: Makolo: DR Congo must disarm FDLR, repatriate its members Foreign affairs minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said the announcement was a political manoeuvre aimed at delaying the implementation of commitments already agreed under the Washington peace process. ALSO READ: Nduhungirehe outlines Rwanda’s diplomatic push, regional priorities The Congolese government said the arrangement with the genocidal militia on disarmament, demobilisation and cantonment was reached “in accordance with the Washington agreements and the associated CONOPS.” Rwanda, however, maintains that the Washington framework does not provide for negotiations with the militia, but instead calls for its neutralisation. FDLR was formed by remnants of the former Rwandan army and Interahamwe militia responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. For decades, the group has carried out attacks against Rwanda, committed atrocities against civilians in eastern DR Congo and operated alongside elements of the Congolese security forces. ALSO READ: Former FDLR deputy president on how genocidal militia was formed Speaking on The New Times’ The Context podcast, released on Friday, August 7, Nduhungirehe said the Washington Accords remain the appropriate framework for addressing security concerns between Rwanda and DR Congo. He accused Kinshasa of lacking the political will to implement what it signed. The Washington Peace Agreement, signed by the two countries’ foreign ministers on June 27, 2025, and endorsed by Presidents Paul Kagame and Felix Tshisekedi on December 4, 2025, includes a Concept of Operations (CONOPS) outlining the neutralisation of FDLR before Rwanda lifts its defensive measures. Nduhungirehe said the latest protocol announced by Kinshasa contradicts the Washington framework because the genocidal militia was never meant to be a negotiating party. “The FDLR should be neutralised as per the Washington Accords...They are the subject of the Washington Accords. They are not a party to sign protocols.” The minister said Rwanda’s position is based on previous experiences where similar announcements did not lead to action. “We have dismissed it by experience because we know Congolese. This is a political manoeuvre and delaying tactics. And it’s not the first time.” ALSO READ: Nduhungirehe slams Kinshasa-FDLR protocol He said: “The FDLR are working with the Congolese army. They are embedded in the Congolese army. We have seen communication between the FDLR writing to the Congolese government and the government responding to the letter by the FDLR leaders. It is just comedy... this is delaying tactics that cannot fool anyone and it is not the first time. “We have told the mediator that what we believe is results on the ground as per the come-ups, as per the Washington accords, not multiple plans and protocols that the DRC and its FDLR allies are coming with.” ALSO READ: Kinshasa-FDLR deal a sidestep from Washington Accords: analysts Nduhungirehe said the reported protocol attempts to introduce conditions that were not part of the Washington agreement. “Now they are trying another delaying tactic of announcing a protocol, which, by the way, is trying to move the goal posts.” The Washington Accords do not provide political space for a militia responsible for genocide. “There are some of the preconditions that are really unacceptable for a genocidal movement. Trying to find a political space in Rwanda.” “The Washington Accords does not talk about any condition for the neutralisation of the FDLR.” ALSO READ: Former FDLR ‘Colonel’ on how militia funds its operations Nduhungirehe said Kinshasa’s latest move follows years of changing narratives about the existence and role of the genocidal militia. In March 2024, he recalled, then Congolese foreign affairs minister Christophe Lutundula presented a plan to neutralise the militia group, but later questioned whether its location was known. “He had presented a plan to neutralise the FDLR, but a few days later he was questioning even the existence of the FDLR.” He also cited claims by some Congolese officials that the group did not exist, before later arguing that it was operating in areas controlled by AFC/M23. “At some point they said they don’t exist.” “Now they came recently with this theory that the FDLR are in areas controlled by the AFC/M23.” ALSO READ: Kagame: Tolerance has limits if national unity is at stake The minister also accused Kinshasa of continuing to support the militia despite signing the Washington Accords. He recalled that after discussions resumed on implementing the agreement in March this year, Congolese military commanders announced operations against FDLR. “But then two days later, they sent helicopters to Walikale full of rifles, close to 700 rifles, ammunition, money, mortars and other weapons to the same FDLR.” He also accused the Congolese government of promoting individuals based in Europe to give the militia a political face. “Not only has the government of Congo continued to provide weapons to the FDLR, but they went also ahead in trying to sanitise or promote political figures who live in Europe to make them the political face of the FDLR.” “They know where the FDLR are. They collaborate with them. They know where the units are...they should implement what they need to implement.” ALSO READ: Ex-FDLR militia fighter speaks out on MONUSCO, FARDC support Nduhungirehe said Rwanda still considers the Washington Accords one of the most comprehensive peace agreements in recent decades. “The agreement we signed, the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity, is one of the best agreements in the past 30 years because it is comprehensive enough, addressing security challenges, political dimensions, but also economic issues.” He said the challenge is implementation, not the content of the agreement. “What we need to do is to implement it. We don’t need to renegotiate it because we agree with its content.” ALSO READ: FDLR links to Habyarimana's son raise regional security concerns - report He said organs established under the agreement continue to meet, including the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism and the Joint Oversight Committee involving Rwanda, DR Congo, the United States, Qatar, the African Union Commission and the Togolese mediator. “There is another one actually in a few days in Geneva,” Nduhungirehe said, while noting that progress depends on political will. “We can hold a thousand meetings. But we need to resolve one thing that would make us progress. The issue is not multiplying meetings. What we need to do is to demonstrate political will to implement what we signed.” ALSO READ: Rwanda's defensive measures to remain 'until FDLR threat is gone' The minister criticised what he described as uneven pressure from the United States, saying Kinshasa continues to support the FDLR while Rwanda faces sanctions. “As we speak, the government of Congo is still supporting the FDLR. It is still arming the FDLR. And it’s still organising politically the same FDLR while the US mediator is looking on.” He said US officials have acknowledged that DR Congo has not neutralised FDLR, while Rwanda has been implementing its commitments under the agreement. “If the US acknowledges that DR Congo has done nothing in neutralising the FDLR, why are we always ending up with sanctions against Rwanda? If sanctions are aimed at pushing parties to implement what they have signed, why are we ending with unfair and one-sided sanctions against one party?”
