Rwandan foreign minister criticizes US mediation in DR Congo conflict as ‘increasingly biased’
Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe has expressed his government’s frustration with the role of the United States in mediating the long-running conflict with the Democratic Republic of Congo, describing Washington’s approach as “increasingly biased” in an interview with FRANCE 24.
The criticism comes amid renewed tensions between Kigali and Kinshasa, two countries whose relations have repeatedly deteriorated despite a series of regional and international efforts to broker peace. Nduhungirehe’s remarks underline Rwanda’s growing unease with how the mediation process is being conducted and with what it perceives as an imbalance in how responsibility for the violence is being assigned.
Accusations of one-sided sanctions
In the interview, the Rwandan foreign minister accused Washington of targeting his country alone with sanctions, while the Democratic Republic of Congo has not been penalized in the same way. He argued that this approach undermines the principle of equal treatment that he considers essential to credible mediation.
Nduhungirehe also pointed to the commitments made under the 2025 Washington Accords, a framework signed by both governments, and suggested that Kinshasa has failed to honour its obligations under the agreement. His comments reflect Kigali’s longstanding position that external pressure should be applied symmetrically to both parties in order to be effective.
A fragile peace process
The conflict in eastern DR Congo has drawn in multiple armed groups and regional actors for decades, with Rwanda frequently accused by Kinshasa and United Nations experts of backing rebel forces operating across the border. Kigali has consistently denied those allegations, framing its security concerns in the region as defensive in nature.
The United States has been among the most active external mediators in recent years, hosting talks and pushing for agreements aimed at reducing hostilities. Rwandan dissatisfaction with that role could complicate Washington’s efforts to maintain momentum in the peace process, particularly as other international partners weigh in on the dispute.
Implications for regional diplomacy
Public criticism of a key mediator risks straining one of the more prominent diplomatic channels currently in play. Analysts note that any erosion of trust between Kigali and Washington could open space for other powers, including some of DR Congo’s other partners, to take a more visible role in shaping the trajectory of the conflict.
For now, Nduhungirehe’s intervention signals that Rwanda is willing to publicly contest the framing of the dispute and the tools being used to resolve it, raising further questions about the durability of recent diplomatic gains.
Source: FRANCE 24 — read the original report.
