Rwanda has accused Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Félix Tshisekedi of undermining peace efforts and misleading both Congolese citizens and the international community.
The response came from Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, who said Kigali has no interest in what he described as a political performance meant to distract from Congo’s failures in regional diplomacy
“He can always wait until the Greek calends, for Rwanda is truly not interested in participating in this improvised ‘commedia dell’arte,’ intended for an unsuspecting Congolese and international audience,” the minister said.
The phrase “Greek calends,” which means a time that will never come, underscored Rwanda’s dismissal of Tshisekedi’s recent remarks.
The minister said it is not Rwanda but international mediators who are waiting for President Tshisekedi to act; “It is rather the American mediator who is still waiting for President Tshisekedi to reconsider his decision to reject the Regional Economic Integration Framework, which was nevertheless approved by the Congolese delegation in Washington on October 3, 2025,” the minister said.
He added that the Qatari mediator is also waiting for Tshisekedi to remove obstacles that have stalled the Doha peace process.
The talks were designed to end the long-running conflict in eastern Congo but have made little progress due to Kinshasa’s reluctance to engage constructively.
Rwanda also accused Tshisekedi of violating the ceasefire and perpetuating violence in eastern Congo; “It is rather the mediators, the parties to the two peace processes, and the international community who are still waiting for President Tshisekedi to stop violating the ceasefire with his fighter jets and attack drones; to stop the attacks against Banyamulenge villages and other Congolese Tutsi; to effectively neutralize the genocidal FDLR; to stop collaborating with the internationally sanctioned Wazalendo militias; to end hate speech and a belligerent attitude toward Rwanda; and to renounce the use of mercenaries, which is a violation of international law,” the minister said.
Relations between Rwanda and the DRC have sharply deteriorated since 2022.
Kinshasa accuses Kigali of backing the M23 rebel group, while Rwanda says Congo’s army continues to work with the FDLR, a group linked to perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Despite mediation efforts led by the United States, Qatar, and regional partners, both countries remain at odds over how to restore peace in eastern Congo.
The Rwandan minister ended his statement saying, “There you have it,” a pointed conclusion signaling Rwanda’s view that Congo’s leadership, not Kigali, remains the main obstacle to achieving a lasting peace
