The war between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda has been going on for more than 30 years. To fully understand it, one must be familiar with the history and claims of both sides.

The aim of this article is to provide a brief overview of the origins and history of this conflict in order to provide an accurate and unbiased understanding of the information we hear in the news and, above all, to encourage critical thinking when receiving or listening to information on this subject.

Brief history:

The 1994 genocide in Rwanda left deep wounds among Rwandan Hutu refugees, some of whom are believed to have been involved in the genocide and found refuge in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It is also important to mention the implications of certain conflict resolutions between the Democratic Republic of Congo and most of the rebel troops operating in eastern Congo.

Where do these rebellions come from?

The armed conflicts raging in the Kivu region are the result of a set of extremely complex and interconnected factors: historical grievances, ethnic tensions, local, national, and international interests, and covetousness for Congolese natural resources.

The First Congo War took place from October 13, 1996, to May 17, 1997. The war was initiated by Rwanda and Uganda, supported by the United States of America, which wanted to redraw the geopolitical map of the region because MOBUTU had long been their man in the context of the Cold War (3).

The Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL) was a Rwandan force led by a Congolese, Mr. Laurent Désiré KABILA. When the Rwandans came to power with Kabila, they occupied eastern Congo for a very long time, from May 17, 1997, until the beginning of the Second Congo War. The entire eastern Congo was occupied by Rwandan forces, who exploited minerals with the Ugandans.

From August 2, 1998, the alliance between Rwanda, Uganda, and Laurent Désiré KABILA broke down, and the Second Congo War began with the rebel group the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD Goma), which was created and led from Rwanda and Uganda, still supported by the United States (4). This force ended with the signing of the Sun City Peace Agreement on June 30, 2003.

In 2006, the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) was created by Laurent KUNDABATWARE MIHIGO, born to Rwandan Tutsi parents in Miringa in the Rutshuru territory in the DRC. General Laurent NKUNDABATWARE was an officer of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). He had left Rwanda to join the troops of the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD Goma) and from there, created the CNDP. The National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) claimed to defend the interests of the Rwandan population in KIVU (eastern Congo). It transformed into a political party after a peace agreement in 2009 (5).

In 2012, the March 23 Movement appeared, called the M23, defeated in 2013, and returned in 2022. This rebel group is a Rwandan creation made up of a few Congolese in service to give a Congolese connotation to an aggression that is in reality Rwandan. The M23 is made up of officers trained in Kigali and armed by Rwanda (reference to the various United Nations reports and the recent one from June 2025).

The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR): The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) are made up of former Rwandan soldiers from the Habyarimana regime, which prepared the 1994 genocide. A large number of them returned to Rwanda unharmed. Many were integrated into the army there. Those who remain in Congo are likely the most hardlined or those most convinced that they will not be able to escape trial for participation in the genocide.

Over the years, the FDLR have posed less and less of an immediate threat to Rwanda. And they are even supported by Rwanda. However, the FDLR have become a real scourge in Kivu, where they control large territories and are the perpetrators of the most brutal crimes (6).

“They have committed serious acts of violence against women and children in the context of armed conflict in the DRC, including killings and mutilations, sexual violence, abductions and forced displacement.

According to a 2010 Amnesty International report on human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the FDLR is responsible for the massacre of 96 civilians in Busurguni in Walikale territory. Some of the victims were burned alive in their homes” (7).

To continue working on Congolese territory, Rwanda has reversed the rhetoric: from the genocidaire to the victim. He is trying to make people believe that it is Congolese Tutsi or Banyamulenge who are victims of a genocide comparable to that of 1994. And in its demands, Rwanda always puts forward security pretexts to continue the occupation of Congolese territories rich in strategic minerals. It exploits ethnic conflicts to justify its military presence while plundering resources in complicity with multinationals (8).

The recent report of the Security Council experts accuses Rwanda of wanting to take over North and South Kivu. Would this not be the motive for all of Rwanda’s manoeuvres on this part of the Democratic Republic of Congo?

We also mention foreign interference: Uganda on the side of Rwanda, and Burundi, which fears the spread of conflicts and sides with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Foreign powers are benefiting from this conflict.

Conclusion:

The conflict between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the most complex in Africa, combining historical, ethnic, political, economic and geostrategic issues. Tensions are fueled by the presence of several armed groups, and the main ones are the M23 and FDLR, which are supported, according to several reports of United Nations experts, by Rwanda. In the face of Rwanda, the weakness of the Congolese state which cannot secure the region and defend its territorial integrity. And Rwanda claims to be acting to defend itself preventively.

But I ask myself two questions: If there is a conflict between the Hutus and Tutsi ethnic groups who are in the Congolese territory, where does it come from that Rwanda crosses the Congolese borders, enters the territory of another State without its consent?  Regular Rwandan incursions under the pretext of prosecuting hostile armed groups hiding inside Congo under the pretext of the right to self-defence are a serious violation of international law.

There have been so many agreements in relation to this conflict that do not produce the desired effects because these incursions benefit the aggressor and the international community behind Rwanda. Peace in eastern Congo would be a setback for Rwanda and the international community that backs it.

So how long will this assault last?

The Sources

1          Wikipedia: the causes of the genocide of Tutsi in Rwanda

2          Wikipedia: The KIVU War

3          L’Humanité magazine: Mobutu et le genocide Rwandais, published on 27              March 1997

4          Final Report of the Panel of Experts on Illegal Resource Exploitation P. 15 ff.; IV: Rwanda-controlled area

5          Clément Boursin: Afrikarabia “Laurent NKUNDA” du 22/11/2020

6          La Libre newspaper from 21/01/2009 at 00:00: Who are the Rwandan FDLR rebels?

7          United Nations/ Security Council: The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR)

8          Wikipedia (the free encyclopedia): Conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

 

Berlaine, ICM