For over two decades, the Rwandan government has used one consistent narrative to justify its repeated interference in the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): the supposed presence of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) in Congolese territory. But this claim, once based in some truth, has long lost its relevance.

Today, the FDLR is militarily insignificant, politically irrelevant, and largely defunct. However, the Rwandan government — particularly under President Paul Kagame — continues to use the FDLR as a pretext for military aggression and proxy warfare, specifically in support of its long-time rebel partners, M23.

This tactic of blame, distraction, and misinformation has deadly consequences. It serves to legitimize illegal Rwandan military activity, confuse international observers, and justify atrocities carried out by M23 in Eastern Congo.

What Is the FDLR — and What Is Left of It?

The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) emerged in the late 1990s, formed primarily by Hutu militants who had fled Rwanda following the 1994 genocide. Many of its original members were former Rwandan soldiers or génocidaires who found sanctuary in the dense forests of eastern Congo. From there, the group operated as an armed opposition to the Rwandan government, exploiting the instability in the Kivu region to entrench itself among vulnerable communities.

Over the years, however, the FDLR has been dramatically weakened. Sustained military pressure from the Congolese army (FARDC), joint operations with the United Nations peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO), and internal breakdowns within the group itself led to major losses in leadership, numbers, and cohesion. Disarmament programs further diminished its strength, while many of its commanders either surrendered, were captured, or were killed.

Today, according to multiple reports from the United Nations Group of Experts, the FDLR is barely functional. It is estimated to have fewer than 300 active fighters, scattered across isolated rural areas, poorly armed, and lacking any meaningful command structure. The group no longer conducts cross-border raids into Rwanda and has not presented a serious security threat to Kigali in over a decade. In strategic terms, it is militarily irrelevant — a broken remnant of the past.

And yet, Rwanda continues to invoke the FDLR as a central justification for its military operations inside Congolese territory. The reality is that the FDLR today is little more than a political scapegoat — a ghost from the past that is cynically resurrected by Kigali to excuse current aggression and to legitimize its support for the M23 rebellion.

Why Does Rwanda Keep Bringing Up the FDLR?

Rwanda’s continued insistence on the FDLR narrative is not based on current security realities but on a strategic communication campaign that serves its regional ambitions. The concept of “chasing genocidaires” — referencing the remnants of those responsible for the 1994 genocide — still resonates powerfully with Western governments, many of which continue to carry a deep sense of guilt for failing to intervene during that horrific chapter in Rwanda’s history. President Paul Kagame’s administration has masterfully weaponized this guilt, using it to craft an image of Rwanda as a vulnerable state acting in self-defense, rather than as an aggressor seeking control over its neighbor.

This narrative allows Rwanda to deflect international criticism and avoid being held accountable for its destabilizing role in eastern Congo. By invoking the FDLR, Rwanda frames its actions — including airstrikes, troop deployments, and backing of the M23 rebels — as necessary counter-insurgency efforts, rather than illegal acts of aggression. It also provides political cover for Kigali to push international institutions into considering so-called “buffer zones” or “security corridors” inside Congolese territory, which would effectively carve out Rwandan-controlled spaces in the DRC under the guise of peacekeeping.

In truth, the FDLR story is a smokescreen for Rwanda’s real objectives. Kigali is not threatened by the FDLR — it is threatened by the prospect of losing its decades-long access to Congo’s wealth of minerals, lucrative trade routes, and regional political leverage. The FDLR myth is a convenient shield for Kagame’s expansionist policy — a policy that is far more about power and profit than about protection.

The Real Threat Is Not the FDLR — It’s Rwanda and M23

Despite Rwanda’s persistent claims that it is merely defending itself from the threat of the FDLR, the reality on the ground tells a very different story. The actual danger to peace and stability in eastern Congo does not come from the remnants of a broken, scattered militia. It comes from M23 — a heavily armed, well-organized rebel group that is openly supported, financed, and directed by the Rwandan government.

M23 has seized and currently occupies strategic towns such as Bunagana, Kibumba, and other areas in North Kivu, using these locations as military strongholds and corridors for smuggling valuable minerals. The group has been directly implicated in war crimes, including executions of civilians, sexual violence, and mass displacement of local populations in Rutshuru, Masisi, and beyond. Over 2 million Congolese have been forced to flee their homes since M23’s resurgence — a humanitarian crisis that continues to worsen with each passing day.

Even worse, M23’s military operations have deliberately blocked humanitarian aid routes, denied access to NGOs, and seized control of mineral-rich zones, allowing Rwandan-linked companies to profit from illegal trade. The result is a deeply calculated campaign not only of violence, but of economic pillage and political destabilisation.

These are not allegations made in a vacuum. Extensive documentation from Human Rights Watch, United Nations Group of Experts reports, and reputable international media such as Reuters, The Guardian, and Al Jazeera provide irrefutable evidence of Rwanda’s involvement in funding, arming, and coordinating M23 activities.

So let us be clear: it is not the FDLR that is destabilizing eastern Congo. It is not the Congolese people. The true aggressor is Rwanda — operating through M23 and hiding behind the false justification of a threat that no longer exists. Rwanda’s narrative is not one of security — it is a calculated strategy of occupation, disguised as defense.

Rwanda’s Real Goal in Congo: Power, Profit, and Resource Control

Rwanda’s ongoing interference in eastern Congo has nothing to do with defending its national security. That’s just the story told to the world. Behind the rhetoric, Kigali’s true objective is control — control over territory, resources, and regional politics. At the center of this strategy is eastern Congo’s vast wealth, especially in minerals like coltan, gold, and tin, which are essential for the global electronics, automotive, and aerospace industries. By backing rebel groups such as M23, Rwanda seeks to dominate these high-value zones not through official occupation, but by establishing indirect rule using armed proxies.

Through M23, Rwanda carves out strongholds in areas like Rutshuru and Masisi, effectively placing large portions of Congo’s resource belt under foreign-influenced control. This tactic not only enriches Rwandan-linked companies through illegal mining and smuggling but also positions Rwanda as a key power broker in the region. The resulting instability gives Kigali leverage in regional negotiations, allowing it to present itself as a “stabilizer” or mediator, even as it fuels the very violence it claims to oppose.

Moreover, by destabilising Congo’s eastern provinces, Rwanda increases pressure on Kinshasa — forcing the Congolese government into difficult economic and diplomatic choices, and weakening its ability to resist foreign influence. The repeated claim that Rwanda is merely defending itself from the FDLR is a carefully constructed myth — one that allows Kagame’s regime to mask its aggression behind a façade of victimhood. In truth, Rwanda is not a passive actor under threat. It is the primary aggressor, using war and propaganda as tools for profit and power.

The UN and International Community Know the Truth — And Have Named Names

The international community is fully aware of Rwanda’s role in destabilising eastern Congo. The United Nations Group of Experts, in its December 2023 and June 2024 reports, explicitly confirmed that the FDLR is militarily irrelevant and no longer capable of conducting cross-border attacks. Despite this, Rwanda continues to justify its incursions and support for M23 by falsely citing the FDLR as a threat.

In response to mounting evidence, some steps have been taken — though not nearly enough.

In July 2024, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned several individuals under the Global Magnitsky Act for their role in perpetuating violence in the DRC. Among them was General James Kabarebe, a senior Rwandan presidential advisor and former Minister of Defence. Kabarebe was sanctioned for his direct support to M23 and for commanding military operations that resulted in mass displacement, recruitment of child soldiers, and systematic human rights abuses in North Kivu.

Another notable figure sanctioned by OFAC was Sultani Makenga, the military commander of M23. He has been repeatedly implicated in war crimes and is widely known to operate with the backing and coordination of Rwandan military intelligence. Both Makenga and Kabarebe were cited as key members of the “Alliance Fleuve Congo”, a coalition identified by the U.S. as responsible for destabilising eastern Congo through armed insurgency.

The European Union, in March 2025, added M23 senior commanders to its sanctions list under its human rights violations framework. This included Innocent Kayna, an M23 leader sanctioned for summary executions and the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. The EU also issued a statement of concern about foreign interference in the DRC, implicitly pointing to Rwanda’s role.

Even the African Union, which traditionally avoids direct confrontation with member states, issued a communiqué in April 2025 expressing grave concern over the humanitarian consequences of the M23 offensive — a thinly veiled reference to Rwanda’s ongoing involvement.

Despite this growing body of international evidence, no major institution has dared to fully name and condemn the Rwandan government itself. The reason? Rwanda continues to hide behind the outdated narrative of “pursuing genocidaires,” using the FDLR myth as diplomatic armor. This false justification allows governments and international bodies to maintain relations with Kigali, all while millions of Congolese suffer displacement, rape, and death at the hands of Rwanda’s proxy forces.

The evidence is not only available — it is official, detailed, and damning. What is missing is not proof, but political will. Until the international community stops treating Rwanda as a misunderstood partner and starts naming it as a state sponsor of terror in eastern Congo, the cycle of violence will continue unchecked.

Congo Will Not Be Lied About Forever

The people of the Democratic Republic of Congo — especially those in North and South Kivu — do not need reports or press statements to understand the truth. We live it every day. We know that the FDLR is not the force burning our villages or seizing our lands. We know that it is M23, armed and directed by Rwanda’s military, that occupies our territory, massacres civilians, and displaces our families. And we know that this brutal campaign is not about security or defense, but about control, extraction, and expansion.

This is not a tribal war. It is not Hutu versus Tutsi. It is not about protecting one ethnic group or persecuting another. That is the lie — the deliberate narrative spread by Kigali to divide us, to confuse the world, and to erase the truth.

The reality is far simpler and more painful: This is a foreign-backed invasion of Congolese land. It is carried out under the false banner of “self-defense” and “regional stability,” but it is nothing more than an aggressive campaign for power, resources, and domination.

We, the people of Congo, refuse to be silenced. We will not allow this truth to be buried under diplomatic doublespeak or media spin. Congo is not confused. Congo is not weak. And Congo will not be lied about forever.

Call to Action: The Time for Silence Is Over

We call on the international community, regional bodies, and all who claim to stand for justice and peace to act — not with more statements, but with real consequences.

Stop using the FDLR myth as a diplomatic excuse. The world knows the FDLR is no longer a credible military threat. Continuing to invoke it only serves to shield Rwanda from accountability and enables its aggression to continue unchecked.

Name Rwanda for what it is in this crisis — not a “concerned neighbor” or “regional partner,” but a state aggressor actively undermining peace in the Great Lakes region. The evidence is overwhelming. The question is no longer if Rwanda is involved — it is why the world remains silent.

End all funding, training, and military cooperation with Rwandan forces as long as they continue to support M23 and destabilize eastern Congo. No country that backs war criminals should receive a single dollar of international military assistance.

And most importantly: Stand firmly with Congolese sovereignty. Support the Congolese people, our armed forces, and the grassroots resistance movements — including the Wazalendo — who are on the front lines defending our nation, our land, and our dignity from a foreign-backed occupation.

This is not just a Congolese issue — it is a test of the international community’s commitment to truth, justice, and African self-determination.
The time for appeasement is over. The time for accountability is now.

Say It Loud and Clear

There is no credible FDLR threat in Congo today — that narrative is a lie, recycled to justify aggression.
Rwanda’s war is not defensive. It is a calculated, resource-driven invasion designed to control land, minerals, and power.
But we see through the manipulation.

Kivu will never be Rwanda. Congo will never fall.
We will resist. We will expose the truth. And we will defend our homeland — no matter the cost.