Rwanda Urges UN to Avoid Bias in Addressing DRC Crisis
Rwanda’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Martin Ngonga, has called on the UN Security Council to avoid relying on “emotionally driven and biased narratives” when addressing the ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Speaking in New York on August 22, 2025, during a UN meeting on insecurity in the region, Ambassador Ngonga criticized certain UN reports accusing Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group, saying they lack credible evidence and present only one side of the story.
“It is unfortunate to see reports based on incomplete information,” Ngonga said. “When you allege that Rwanda supports M23, why don’t you also talk about the cooperation between the DRC government and the FDLR, a terrorist group that has long sought to destabilize Rwanda?”
He reminded the Council that collaboration between Kinshasa and the FDLR has been widely documented for years, yet it rarely receives the same attention in UN discussions as allegations against Rwanda.
Ngonga reaffirmed Rwanda’s support for peace agreements, including the Washington and Doha accords, aimed at restoring peace in eastern Congo and the wider Great Lakes region. He emphasized that lasting peace in the DRC is essential for Rwanda’s own security.
“Achieving sustainable peace requires both sides to respect their commitments and prioritize the will to end the conflict,” he added.
The ambassador also commended the United States and Qatar for facilitating peace talks between the DRC and M23, which led to a ceasefire agreement signed on June 27, 2025.
Meanwhile, Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINAFFET) issued a statement on the same day, rejecting reports by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and its Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) alleging that Rwandan forces were involved in atrocities alongside M23.
MINAFFET stressed that the accusations lacked evidence and admitted that UN investigators had not visited the sites where the alleged crimes occurred.
Rwanda urged the UN to ensure that all information regarding cross-border crimes is verified and presented objectively, warning that baseless accusations risk undermining peace efforts instead of fostering them.
