Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva said that for DR Congo and the Great Lakes Region to have lasting peace, the root causes of the conflict and the security threat posed by the Kinshasa-backed FDLR must be addressed. Nsengiyumva said this as he delivered Rwanda's statement at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, September 23. ALSO READ: PM Nsengiyumva to represent Kagame at UN General Assembly He noted that the causes of the region's security issues had been ignored for three decades. “Too often, the United Nations has been more effective at responding to crises than anticipating them. This is true of pandemics, of climate shocks, of technological disruption, and it is nowhere more costly than in conflict,” the Prime Minister said. “Eastern DR Congo is a clear example. For more than three decades, the FDLR has spread genocidal ideology, committed grave abuses in eastern DR Congo, and directly threatened Rwanda's security, including through cross-border attacks,” he added. FDLR remains a central security concern for Rwanda because of its links to forces responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The UN- and US-sanctioned militia has operated in eastern DR Congo for decades and has launched attacks on Rwanda and led violence targeting Banyamulenge and Tutsi communities in DR Congo. ALSO READ: Congolese rights groups say FDLR drives insecurity in Walikale The Prime Minister also said FDLR now operates alongside Burundian troops and DR Congo-sponsored militias and mercenaries, which he said violates international and African conventions on mercenaries. “This did not happen overnight. The roots of the conflict in Eastern DR Congo are political, and they lie in longstanding grievances, exclusion, and failures of governance. The solution, too, therefore, must be political,” he said. ALSO READ: No peace without FDLR neutralization, Rwandan envoy tells UN Security Council The Prime Minister said Rwanda supports ongoing diplomatic efforts to address the conflict, including the Washington Accords between Rwanda and DR Congo and the Doha process between DR Congo and the AFC/M23. He thanked US President Donald Trump, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Togolese President and African Union mediator Faure Gnassingbé for their efforts to advance the peace processes. Nsengiyumva said Rwanda remained committed to a region where countries can coexist peacefully, trade and develop together. “Rwanda calls on all actors, including the Security Council, to support these same peace efforts fairly and to encourage all parties to honor their commitments,” he said. “There is no lasting peace without confronting the root causes of the conflict and addressing the legitimate concerns of all those affected.” The Prime Minister also said the UN must be better equipped to prevent crises rather than mainly respond to them. He said the principle of prevention should extend beyond conflict to addressing poverty, economic shocks and exclusion from opportunities.
