Rwandan President Kagame says DR Congo supports FDLR
Rwandan President Paul Kagame said that the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are arming the Rwandan armed group Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and integrating its members into their own forces. At a press conference in Kigali, he called the presence of the FDLR in the DRC the main reason for Rwanda’s continued involvement in the conflict in the east of the neighboring country.
Kagame’s statements on the FDLR
As Al Jazeera English reports, Kagame said that Rwanda would take measures it considers necessary for its own security. According to him, as long as the FDLR issue remains unresolved, Rwanda’s involvement in the conflict is natural.
In Kigali, the FDLR is considered a security threat to the country from DRC territory. The group was formed from remnants of the Rwandan army that was accused of involvement in the genocide against the Tutsi. Kagame said that testimony from former FDLR fighters allegedly confirms the group’s support by the Congolese authorities. Some of these fighters returned to Rwanda voluntarily, while others were captured.
The president also noted that representatives of U.S., European and UN missions had visited the Mutobo Demobilization and Reintegration Centre near Musanze in northern Rwanda, where they heard testimony from former fighters. The center disarms members of armed groups arriving from eastern DRC, including the FDLR, and prepares them for civilian life through training and financial support.
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Mutual accusations and peace agreements
At the same time, the DRC authorities accuse Rwanda of supporting the M23 movement in the east of the country and deploying Rwandan troops on Congolese territory. Rwanda rejects these accusations.
On March 18, 2025, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, held a meeting between Kagame and DRC President Félix Tshisekedi. It opened two peace tracks: between Rwanda and the DRC, and between the parties to the conflict within the DRC itself. On June 27, 2025, Rwanda and the DRC signed a peace agreement in Washington that provided for ending support for armed groups, respecting sovereignty and coordinating security efforts.
Ceasefire verification
On November 15, 2025, the DRC government and the M23 movement signed a framework peace agreement in Doha. It contains eight implementation protocols aimed at protecting civilians, restoring state authority, national reconciliation and socio-economic development. Qatar, the United States and the African Union are to oversee the agreement’s implementation.
On August 20, representatives of the DRC authorities, the Congo River Alliance-M23, Qatar, the United States, Togo, Switzerland and the African Union Commission welcomed a field mission conducted with logistical support from the UN mission MONUSCO. It was intended to prepare the first mission to verify compliance with the ceasefire. On the evening of August 24, according to local sources, a delegation of the joint verification mechanism arrived in South Kivu province.
