Rwanda’s foreign minister criticises Reuters over “Vague” Coverage of Congo massacre

At least 52 civilians were massacred in a series of coordinated assaults by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) between August 9 and 16 in North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United Nations peacekeeping mission confirmed on Monday.

The UN warned the death toll could climb further, citing violence marked by kidnappings, looting, arson, and the destruction of homes and livelihoods. Local sources reported that nine civilians were killed in the town of Oicha overnight on Sunday, while at least 40 more were slain earlier in the week across villages in the Bapere sector.

Despite the joint Ugandan-Congolese “Operation Shujaa” launched in 2021, the Islamic State-backed ADF has continued its deadly insurgency, displacing thousands and leaving communities in despair.

However, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, criticised international media coverage of the tragedy, singling out Reuters for its headline: “Rebels armed with machetes kill at least 52 in eastern Congo.”

“This is the kind of vague title that biased medias such as Reuters use to mislead the public, especially the many readers who just scroll down their timelines,” Nduhungirehe said. “I guess simple words such as ‘Islamic State-backed rebels,’ ‘Beni,’ or ‘Lubero’ were too much to add, as they were not fitting their current editorial line on eastern DRC.”