Germany’s latest statement on the crisis in eastern DRC reveals a staggering level of hypocrisy and selective outrage. While Berlin rushes to condemn Rwanda, it ignores the Congolese government’s blatant violations of international law, its military collaboration with the UN-sanctioned genocidal militia FDLR, and its repeated attacks on Rwandan territory.
“Backed by Rwanda, the M23 militia continues its offensive in Eastern DRC. Rwanda must respect the integrity of the DRC and withdraw its troops,” the German Foreign Ministry declared, adding that Rwanda’s ambassador had been summoned. But Germany fails to acknowledge the real violator of international law: the DRC government, which has openly integrated FDLR commanders into its national army and carried out cross-border attacks on Rwanda.
This refusal to confront Kinshasa on its alliance with the FDLR is particularly troubling given Germany’s own history with the group. Over the years, several high-ranking FDLR members have sought safe haven in Germany, including Ignace Murwanashyaka, the group’s former leader, who was convicted by a German court in 2015 for terrorism and war crimes. If Germany has firsthand knowledge of the FDLR’s terrorist activities and its role in destabilizing the region, why is it now sanitizing the DRC for integrating these same genocidal actors into its military?
Berlin’s silence on Kinshasa’s use of the FDLR is not just an oversight—it is willful ignorance. The same country that prosecuted FDLR leaders on its own soil now pretends the group’s presence in the DRC military is not an issue. Instead of holding the real perpetrators accountable, Germany has chosen to scapegoat Rwanda.
Even more troubling is the omission of countless violations of Rwanda’s sovereignty by the DRC. The Congolese army (FARDC), in coordination with the FDLR, has repeatedly launched attacks into Rwandan territory. On January 26, 2025, Congolese coalition forces shelled Rubavu, killing 16 civilians and injuring over 160. From 2022 to 2023, the DRC deployed Sukhoi-25 fighter jets, violating Rwandan airspace multiple times. In March 2022, FARDC shelled Musanze and Burera districts, causing casualties and property damage. This pattern of aggression is not new—back in 2012, FARDC-FDLR forces bombed Rwandan villages, killing civilians and injuring a two-month-old baby. Yet Germany, which claims to stand for international law, has said nothing about these violations.
Rwanda, however, will not sit idly by while a hostile force collaborates with genocidal militias and launches attacks on its territory. Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe has made it clear: “No country would tolerate a hostile army working with terrorists to attack its borders. Rwanda has the right to protect its people and ensure its national security.” Germany’s demand that Rwanda withdraw from the DRC is based on a false premise. Rwanda has no troops in the DRC, and the real issue is Kinshasa’s refusal to dismantle the FDLR and end its campaign of ethnic violence against Congolese Tutsi.
Berlin’s claim that “The solution to the conflict lies solely in a political process” collapses under scrutiny. Rwanda has engaged in diplomatic efforts through the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes. The DRC, on the other hand, has consistently chosen war—violating agreements, rejecting negotiations with M23, and fueling ethnic divisions. If Germany were serious about peace, it would pressure Kinshasa to stop its military provocations, disarm the FDLR, and halt its campaign of hate speech. Instead, Berlin’s statement encourages more reckless behavior from the DRC, pushing the region closer to full-scale war.
The hypocrisy is undeniable. Germany, which supplies billions of dollars in weapons to Ukraine in the name of self-defense, now tells Rwanda it has no right to protect itself. Why is self-defense a right for some but a crime for others? If Germany truly cared about international law, it would condemn the DRC for sheltering, arming, and integrating a genocidal militia. Instead, it has chosen to side with a regime that violates human rights and promotes ethnic violence.
Rwanda will not be lectured on international law by a country that turns a blind eye to genocide perpetrators. Germany must decide: will it stand on the side of truth, or will it continue enabling the very forces that destabilize the Great Lakes region?