Rwanda’s Minister of State for Regional Cooperation, Gen. (Rtd) James Kabarebe, has shed light on the genesis and cause of the strained relations between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, accusing the Congolese government of maintaining a hostile stance that has fuelled tensions for decades.
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In an interview with Mvemba Dizolele of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Kabarebe addressed allegations that Rwanda supports armed groups in DR Congo, highlighting the historical backdrop of mutual mistrust that has shaped the countries’ relationship.
Kabarebe spoke about accusations that Rwanda has aided the M23 rebel group, which operates in DR Congo’s North Kivu Province. In early 2022, the administration of President Félix Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of backing the rebel group, which had, the previous year, resumed fighting in the area.
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Kabarebe rejected the claims, stating that M23 fighters, led by Gen. Sultani Makenga, do not come from Rwanda. The M23, a rebel group that resurfaced in November 2021 after nearly a decade of inactivity, has since been the focus of international attention. However, M23 remains committed to a "peaceful solution” to the conflict in eastern DR Congo, according to rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka. In a July interview with Harvard scholar Bojana Coulibaly, Kanyuka said M23 is a broad-based Congolese movement, contrary to popular clichés that it is a Tutsi-led rebel group supported by Rwanda.
"Rwanda has no hand in supporting M23,” Kabarebe clarified. "If you look closely, you’ll see that M23 operates independently of Rwanda, and their leaders aren’t based here.”
Highlighting the shared history between Rwanda and DR Congo, Kabarebe suggested that the two countries could have enjoyed a closer bond.
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"We share a history, both good and bad, that could easily bring us together as allies,” he said. "History offers choices. It can either build friendship or destroy it. It’s simply a matter of choosing.”
Kabarebe explained that Rwanda and DR Congo’s intertwined past dates to the Belgian colonial era, when both nations were under the same colonial administration, Rwanda-Urundi.
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He recounted that in 1959, as ethnic violence targeted the Tutsi in Rwanda, many sought refuge across the border in DR Congo, which welcomed them. "Congo opened its doors to Rwandan refugees, setting the foundation for cooperation. This could have been the basis for lasting friendship,” he said.
However, Kabarebe noted that relations took a drastic turn during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. As Rwanda’s liberation war unfolded, the then Congolese leader, Mobutu Sese Seko, dispatched Congolese forces led by Colonel Donatien Mahele Lieko Bokungu to support Rwanda’s genocidal government against the advancing Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA).
"The conflict we’re facing today started there,” Kabarebe explained.
"Throughout October, we were fighting Congolese forces in Rwanda’s east. Mobutu’s involvement alongside the forces responsible for genocide was a clear indication of DRC’s alignment at that time. They openly supported a government that committed genocide.”
The former minister of defense also recounted the aftermath of the genocide when RPA forces ultimately defeated the genocidal government. The defeated leaders and many of their fighters fled into DR Congo, where Mobutu allowed them to settle near the Rwandan border. Kabarebe emphasized how these genocidal forces continued launching attacks on Rwanda while also targeting the Congolese Tutsi in eastern DR Congo.
"Once settled just a few kilometres from our border, these forces began cross-border raids, killing Rwandan Tutsi and Congolese Tutsi in eastern Congo,” he said, describing how the unresolved hostility continued to harm the region.
Kabarebe linked the M23 conflict to this history, explaining that the group’s fighters primarily took up arms to defend the rights of Congolese Tutsi who were marginalized and denied repatriation despite their ancestral ties to DR Congo.
"M23 fighters took up arms to restore the rights of Congolese Tutsi, particularly their right to return to their homeland, after being expelled due to ethnic violence from former Rwandan genocidal government forces,” he said.
Looking back on DR Congo’s approach to Rwanda, Kabarebe pointed out what he described as a consistent policy of hostility. He believes the Congolese government, from Mobutu’s era to Tshisekedi’s administration, has used anti-Rwandan sentiment to gain popularity among Congolese citizens.
DR Congo's continued collaboration with FDLR, a militia formed by remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, has not helped matters. Kigali’s concerns include the militia’s persistent genocide ideology and the indoctrination of new recruits, making them a uniquely dangerous presence in eastern DR Congo.
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The DR Congo has made one big mistake, he said, "especially in its leadership from 1994 onward.”
"They chose a political path of hostility toward Rwanda, especially targeting the Tutsi, to gain local support. By blaming Rwanda, they sought to justify their own governance failures and challenges.”
Kabarebe emphasized that Rwanda has taken a different approach, choosing not to retaliate despite having grounds to accuse DR Congo of creating regional instability. Rwanda has sought peaceful coexistence with its neighbour, committed to ensuring that Congolese citizens feel secure within Rwandan borders, he noted.
"Our stance is that we welcome Congolese people, and we prioritize the security of everyone,” he said.
"You can see it at our border, in Kigali hotels filled with Congolese citizens traveling to places like Dubai or other parts of East Africa. No one harasses them. They’re given all the assistance they need, especially when it comes to security.”
Kabarebe urged the Congolese government to abandon its antagonistic stance, especially toward Rwanda’s Tutsi population, and instead work toward peaceful relations. The Congolese government needs to recognize the value of peace with its neighbours, he said.
"Cooperation benefits everyone,” he said, calling for a redefined relationship grounded in stability and shared progress for the region.