Rwanda ‘not afraid’ to fight with DRC, Kagame warns amid growing tensions

Rwanda is “ready to fight” with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) if necessary, its President Paul Kagame has declared in response to the accusations from Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi who had claimed that Rwanda was orchestrating genocide in eastern DRC.

In a recent exclusive interview with FRANCE 24, Kagame discussed the growing tensions in his country’s relations with neighboring DRC. He declared Rwanda’s readiness to go to war with the DRC, if necessary. This comes after Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of orchestrating a genocide in the DRC’s eastern regions. Kagame responded by accusing his Congolese counterpart of promoting a “genocidal ideology” aimed at Congolese Tutsis. “We are ready to fight…We are not afraid of anything,” he said. Kagame also refused to confirm the presence of Rwandan soldiers in the DRC, emphasizing the need to address the root causes of regional tensions.

The decades-long conflict in DRC’s east has produced one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with over 100 armed groups, including the infamous M23 rebels, fighting in the mineral-rich region.

These statements underscore the rising tensions between both countries and highlight the challenges facing Kagame as he is preparing for a fourth term in the upcoming 15 July presidential election. The 66-year-old politician, Rwanda’s de facto ruler since the end of the 1994 genocide, has been praised for the country’s economic recovery but faces criticism over rights abuses and stifling opposition.