Congo-Kinshasa: Scapegoating Cannot End DR Congo Crisis, Rwandan Envoy Tells UN

What the report says

Rwanda’s UN envoy in Geneva, Amb. Urujeni Bakuramutsa, used a Human Rights Council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8, to argue that progress on the crisis in eastern DR Congo depends on accountability, delivery of existing peace commitments and cooperation, not efforts to blame Rwanda. The remarks were reported by The New Times and distributed by AllAfrica.

According to the report, Bakuramutsa said the council should focus on conflict prevention, mediation and early warning, but also on the deeper causes of violence such as poverty, exclusion, weak institutions and rights abuses. She also raised broader challenges including climate change, disinformation and the digital divide, saying they require coordinated multilateral responses.

On the eastern Congo conflict, Bakuramutsa accused Kinshasa of politicizing the UN forum and of relying on military measures instead of addressing the conflict’s drivers. She cited the continued presence of armed groups, including the FDLR and Wazalendo militias, and said the Congolese authorities should stop hate speech and violence targeting Tutsi communities, including Banyamulenge.

The report also referred to the December 2025 Washington Accords, which call for neutralizing the FDLR and for Rwanda to lift its defensive measures. As background, the FDLR has long been a central issue in Rwanda-DRC tensions and in regional security discussions. Bakuramutsa said Rwanda remained open to engagement and that lasting peace would come through implementation of commitments and genuine cooperation.