A promising development took place on April 25, 2025, when Rwanda and the DRC—facilitated by the United States—signed a framework agreement aimed at restoring peace in the region.

This seemed to signal a potential end to the DRC’s recurring pattern of blaming Rwanda for its internal problems, a narrative that had produced no real solutions or peace for the region.

Optimism grew further when the U.S. announced that both Rwanda and the DRC would sign a peace agreement in Washington D.C. in June 2025, an accord expected to spark renewed development cooperation among the three countries.

In the DRC’s official communication channels, key officials like Minister Kayikwamba and Government Spokesperson Patrick Muyaya had noticeably toned down their rhetoric against Rwanda, particularly after both sides agreed in April to avoid any form of provocation.

However, after a long silence, Minister Kayikwamba recently resurfaced in an interview with Germany’s Deutsche Welle, once again accusing Rwanda of destabilising eastern DRC and of mistreating UN peacekeepers from MONUSCO.

“We have a very large peacekeeping mission, but one of our neighbouring countries — namely Rwanda — is one of the biggest contributors to peacekeeping operations. At the same time, this country violates our territorial integrity and has also been linked to violence against peacekeepers,” she said.

When asked whether the DRC recognises Rwanda’s security concerns, Kayikwamba responded dismissively: “Are the tens of thousands of people who have died Congolese or Rwandan? They are Congolese. Are the women who have been raped Congolese or Rwandan? They are Congolese,” she said.

The Rwandan government has consistently rejected these allegations, maintaining that the DRC is using Rwanda as a scapegoat to distract the international community from the root causes of its insecurity, including poor governance and persecution of Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese citizens.

Reacting to Kayikwamba’s comments, the Spokesperson of the Government of Rwanda, Yolande Makolo, strongly dismissed the accusations and directly challenged the DRC’s narrative, highlighting the failure of the Congolese government to take responsibility for internal atrocities.

“The Congolese foreign minister’s outrage is misplaced, and it cannot cover up the failure of the Congolese government to protect Congolese citizens, not from Rwanda, but from the Congolese government itself,” Makolo stated.

She pointedly questioned the source of the ongoing violence in eastern DRC, clarifying that the violence is homegrown, not imported.

“Who is killing? The victims are Congolese, so are the perpetrators. It is not Rwandans killing in Beni, Ituri, Kwamouth, Goma, Minembwe or Uvira. It is Congolese armed groups, VDP/Wazalendo and their allies, FARDC/FDLR, that are supported and financed by the DRC government,” she said.

Addressing the minister’s claims about sexual violence, Makolo continued: “Who is raping? Reports consistently point to Congolese armed groups, FARDC/FDLR, VDP/Wazalendo and predatory state forces. Do not distort this truth.”

She also denied accusations of Rwandan military aggression, including bombing of Congolese territories, and instead turned the spotlight on DRC’s own military conduct: “Bombs? There are no Rwandan bombs. The DRC army has bombed civilians indiscriminately, including in Rwanda. Who is bombing Minembwe? It is FARDC and VDP/Wazalendo targeting Banyamulenge, those same Congolese who you refuse to acknowledge by name.”

Makolo further criticised Kinshasa’s lack of commitment to peace agreements and accused the DRC of consistently undermining regional peace efforts.

“Who is violating peace agreements? The DRC government signs commitments they don’t uphold: Nairobi, Luanda, Addis Ababa… At every turn, it is the DRC that undermines peace efforts - refusing dialogue, reigniting hostilities, instrumentalising armed groups, repeatedly recruiting mercenaries,” she asserted.

While the DRC accuses Rwanda of breaching its sovereignty, Rwanda counters that the DRC harbours and supports the FDLR, a terrorist group committed to destabilising Rwanda.

Rwanda has also reminded the world of statements by DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, in which he openly expressed a desire to overthrow the Rwandan government.

As a result, Rwanda has strengthened its border security. These measures enabled the country to defend itself against attacks launched by FARDC forces on January 27, as the M23/AFC coalition took control of Goma.

These attacks killed 16 civilians in Rwanda’s Rubavu District, injured 161 others, and damaged 200 homes.

Despite recent diplomatic efforts to mend fractured ties, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Minister of Foreign Affairs, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, has reignited hostile rhetoric against Rwanda.