Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, has categorically dismissed recent reports by Africa Intelligence claiming that Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) failed to sign a coordinated plan to neutralize the FDLR during the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the Luanda Process in September 2024.
Nduhungirehe described the report as “#FakeNews,” asserting that the claims were propagated by ill-intentioned individuals to misrepresent the outcomes of the meeting held in Luanda, Angola.
During the ministerial meeting on 14 September, military and intelligence experts from Angola, Rwanda, and the DRC, including the DRC’s Head of Military Intelligence, unanimously backed a harmonized plan to neutralize the FDLR and address Rwanda’s defensive concerns. This plan had been finalized during earlier talks held in Rubavu on 29-30 August 2024.
“Despite claims to the contrary, the ministers of Rwanda and Angola fully endorsed the plan,” Nduhungirehe clarified.
However, he revealed that the DRC’s Foreign Minister stood alone in rejecting the plan and even opposed a proposal to reconvene expert meetings on 30 September – 1 October to develop a comprehensive concept of operations (CONOPS) for the initiative.
Furthermore, Nduhungirehe refuted allegations suggesting that there was a discussion about the withdrawal of Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) and the M23 from Congolese territory.
He stressed that the M23 operates within its own territory in the DRC, and there was no agreement involving their withdrawal.
“Contrary to the misleading claims, the focus of the meeting was on neutralizing the FDLR, not the withdrawal of the M23,” Nduhungirehe stated firmly.
The Minister’s remarks come just ahead of the Francophonie Summit scheduled for 4 October 2024, where French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to hold separate talks with Presidents Paul Kagame and Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC. The Angola-supported peace framework between Kigali and Kinshasa will be central to these discussions.
Minister Nduhungirehe’s response highlights Rwanda’s ongoing commitment to regional stability and underscores the importance of neutralizing armed groups like the FDLR, while calling out efforts to misrepresent Rwanda’s position in these critical peace negotiations.