Why Rwanda and Congo Keep Blaming Each Other for the Fighting in Eastern Congo

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has blamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for the ongoing fighting in the country's east. At a news conference in Kigali on August 25, 2026, Kagame accused Congolese authorities of arming and welcoming a group called the FDLR into their own military forces. He said the FDLR's presence on Congolese territory is Rwanda's biggest security worry and that "if this problem is not resolved, it is natural for Rwanda to remain involved" in the conflict. Al Jazeera

The FDLR is a group formed from remnants of the Rwandan army that was accused of carrying out the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi people in Rwanda. Because of that history, Rwanda sees the FDLR as a direct threat to its survival, especially since the group operates from across the border in Congo. Rwanda's government has previously described Congo's support for the FDLR as "a matter of state policy, not the choice of individual actors," and called ending that support "a condition to be ensured."

Kagame said Rwanda has intelligence showing that Congolese authorities are arming the FDLR and bringing its members into Congolese security forces. He said the evidence comes from former FDLR fighters, some of whom returned to Rwanda on their own and others who were captured, and who "tell the same story." Kagame added that officials from the United States, Europe, and the United Nations have visited a centre in northern Rwanda called Mutobo, where former FDLR fighters are disarmed and helped to return to civilian life, and where they heard this testimony directly.

Kagame pushed back hard against calls for Rwanda to stay out of the crisis in eastern Congo. He said those making such calls should first deal with the FDLR. "Remove this problem, and then see whether Rwanda is using it as an excuse or not," he said. He stressed that protecting Rwanda's security is a top priority that cannot be negotiated away, adding, "The right thing to do is to protect ourselves, and we will do so without fear, day or night and at any time." He said Rwanda wants to work with countries in the region to achieve peace and is "ready to fight for it."

The accusations go in both directions. Congo's government, based in Kinshasa, accuses Rwanda of backing another armed group in eastern Congo called M23 and of sending Rwandan soldiers into Congolese territory. Rwanda denies those accusations. In late July 2026, the two countries argued over a plan to disarm Rwandan rebels, with each side repeating its familiar charges: Rwanda saying Congo works with the FDLR, and Congo saying Rwanda backs the AFC/M23. Reuters

Several peace agreements were supposed to stop this conflict. In March 2025, Qatar's Emir helped bring Kagame and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi together for a meeting described as historic, which set up two paths for peace: one between Rwanda and the DRC, and another among the groups fighting inside Congo. On June 27, 2025, Rwanda and the DRC signed a peace agreement in Washington that included commitments to stop supporting armed groups, respect each other's borders, coordinate on security, and plan for regional economic cooperation. Then, on November 15, 2025, a separate deal called the Doha Framework Agreement was signed between the DRC government and M23, with eight plans for protecting civilians, restoring government authority, and strengthening reconciliation and development. Qatar, the US, and the African Union were set to oversee the implementation.

A joint statement from a follow-up oversight meeting noted that both countries reaffirmed their obligation to immediately stop providing any state support to armed groups. Yet the agreement's core rules are exactly what each side accuses the other of breaking. Rwanda says the fighting in eastern Congo was triggered by ceasefire violations by Congolese forces and the FDLR. Rwanda has also accused a military coalition in eastern Congo, made up of the Congolese Army, the FDLR, and Burundian forces, of operating against Rwanda. DRC Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula, in an interview with RFI, accused Rwanda of violating Congolese sovereignty.

The situation has also drawn in outside powers. The US imposed sanctions, which are penalties that restrict trade or financial activity, on Rwanda's military forces for supporting the AFC/M23 rebel group. That move came even as the US had co-sponsored the June 2025 peace agreement. In January 2026, Rwanda's Ambassador Mathilde told the US House Foreign Affairs Committee that Rwanda's national security is non-negotiable and cited decades of cross-border threats from the FDLR and allied groups. UN experts had already said in August 2022 that Rwanda had sent troops into eastern Congo, while Rwanda accused Congo of using the FDLR as a proxy, a charge Kinshasa denied.

The broader context here is that the peace deals built over the past eighteen months are under severe strain. All three agreements were based on the same simple bargain: each side stops supporting the other's enemies. Kagame's news conference makes clear that Rwanda sees the FDLR as the original threat and its own involvement as a consequence. His challenge to the international community, to remove the FDLR and watch whether Rwanda withdraws, puts the burden of proof on those calling for Rwanda to step back. But with the US having sanctioned Rwandan forces and Congo still claiming that Rwandan soldiers are on its soil, whether each side actually follows through on its promises will be judged by what happens on the ground, not by what either government says.

Kagame's framing also serves a diplomatic purpose. By casting the FDLR as the root cause and Rwanda's involvement as a response, he sought to shape the story ahead of any future peace talks. His mention of foreign missions visiting the Mutobo centre was an invitation for international actors to examine Rwanda's evidence for themselves. Whether that evidence is convincing enough for the same partners who sanctioned Rwanda's military earlier this year will help determine where the peace process goes from here.