Media Wire Express Correspondent
Rwanda is accused of illegally occupying the Democratic Republic of Congo and attempting to instigate regime change, according to the country’s foreign minister in an interview with the BBC.
Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner stated that this situation stems from decades of impunity and a lack of accountability for Rwandan President Paul Kagame regarding violations of international law.
Her remarks follow the recent capture of the eastern Congolese city of Goma by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, who have threatened to advance towards the capital, Kinshasa, located 2,600 km (1,600 miles) away.
In response, Rwanda’s government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo refuted the allegations, asserting that Rwandan troops are present to prevent the conflict from spilling over into Rwanda.
“We’re not interested in war, annexation, or regime change,” Ms. Makolo stated during the BBC’s Newsday program.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional organization consisting of 16 member states, is convening a special meeting in Zimbabwe on Friday to address the situation in the DRC.
SADC has deployed peacekeeping troops, mainly from South Africa, to the DRC to combat armed groups like the M23 and restore stability in the mineral-rich region after years of unrest.
In the past week, clashes with the M23 around Goma have resulted in the deaths of 16 soldiers from southern African nations.
Rwanda’s President Kagame, in a verbal exchange with his South African counterpart, remarked that SADC troops are “not a peacekeeping force and have no place in this situation.”
The ongoing fighting has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC, with the M23 capturing significant portions of North Kivu province.
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Shelley Thakral from the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) reported that residents in Goma are running low on food, clean water, and medical supplies. “The supply chain has really been strangled at the moment considering land and air access are completely shut down,” she told AFP.
Since the beginning of 2025, over 400,000 people have been displaced from their homes, according to the UN refugee agency.
Ms. Makolo emphasized that Rwanda’s troops are securing their borders due to “repeated violations,” including fatalities from cross-border shelling. “The DRC needs to do a better job of managing their territory. That is their responsibility,” she said.
Ms. Wagner urged for a cessation of foreign aid to Rwanda and called for sanctions against leaders “enabling this warfare.” She also demanded that Rwandan troops be suspended from UN peacekeeping missions globally. “We must see a country that presents itself as a peace-bringer elsewhere acting as a warmonger in the Great Lakes region,” she stated.
UN experts reported last year that Rwanda has between 3,000 and 4,000 troops operating alongside the M23 in eastern DRC. Human Rights Watch has raised alarms about increasing risks to civilians as the DRC army confronts M23 rebels, accusing both sides of serious abuses against civilians.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the current conflict could escalate into a wider regional war. In response to the intensifying fighting, Uganda’s army has announced plans to bolster its defenses along its border with the DRC.
Source: BBC
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