Rwandan Defense Minister Juvenal Marizamunda has dismissed accusations made by Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi, who alleged that Rwanda deployed troops to the eastern DRC to exploit mineral resources.
Speaking at the ongoing Munich Security Conference on February 14, 2025, President Tshisekedi criticized the international community for ignoring his calls to impose sanctions on Rwanda, claiming that global indifference emboldens aggressors.
In response, Minister Marizamunda firmly rejected the allegations, emphasizing that Rwanda has no interest in destabilizing its neighbor. He stressed that the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC has affected the entire region, including Rwanda, and that Kigali remains committed to regional peace and economic cooperation.
“The situation in eastern DRC concerns all of us in the region. Rwanda has suffered significantly from this conflict. However, Rwanda gains nothing from an unstable DRC; on the contrary, our development agenda relies on regional stability and economic cooperation,” Marizamunda stated.
He cited economic data to illustrate the mutual benefits of stability: in 2021, when eastern DRC experienced relative peace, Rwanda exported goods worth $683 million to the DRC. In 2022, over 33% of Rwanda’s total exports went to its neighbor.
“Why would Rwanda, a country with a clear, long-term development vision, seek to disrupt such a beneficial partnership? Our interests lie in peace, not conflict,” Marizamunda emphasized.
He dismissed Kinshasa’s narrative of external interference, insisting that Rwanda has never invaded the DRC and has no intention of doing so.
“We reject the finger-pointing approach. Rwanda has its own concerns and has never attacked the DRC, nor will it ever,” Marizamunda said.
The minister acknowledged Rwanda’s recent military reinforcements along its border with the DRC, describing them as defensive measures to safeguard against potential cross-border threats.
The exchange at the Munich Security Conference underscores the ongoing diplomatic tensions between Kigali and Kinshasa as efforts to restore peace in the eastern DRC continue to face setbacks.
