Congolese propagandist social media is pushing a childish, absurd, made-up story, which as usual targets Rwanda.
The story alleges that Rwandans in Washington attempted an assassination of DR Congo First Lady, Denise Nyakeru, in a hotel in Washington DC. An “assassination plot”, in a hotel corridor, with diplomats and security everywhere. That alone should tell any serious person about the thought processes of Tshisekedi’s propagandists.
Totally unserious people.
What, according to the allegation, would gain in an alleged assassination attempt on the wife of Tshisekedi? They say nothing about that. On top of the fact they have provided nothing (zero) evidence to back their wild accusation.
Why would Rwanda – known famously for its diplomatic smarts – attempt something that simply has no logic, no motive, and no benefits whatsoever? The story collapses the moment you apply basic common sense. What actually happened, according to the official clarification, was far less dramatic.
The communique by the Rwandan Embassy in Washington stated that an unarmed member of a Rwandan VIP security detail encountered DRC security agents in a hotel hallway accessible to all guests. The Rwandan security officer was briefly restrained from accessing the elevator by DRC security agents, which was inappropriate in a shared public space, but the matter was resolved without escalation.
The Rwandan delegation later decided to change hotels and was harassed and filmed by unknown individuals while checking out, yet they remained restrained and professional and avoided confrontation. That is the real story. Everything else is political theatre.
This entire alleged “assassination attempt” narrative is not a misunderstanding. It is a deliberate public opinion manipulation tactic. It fits into a pattern that has become very clear over the years: whenever there is political pressure, military failure, or internal scandal in Kinshasa, Rwanda suddenly becomes the headline. Rwanda is blamed for everything from rebellions to economic failures to imaginary assassination plots in foreign countries. It has become a convenient political tool.
This is why many observers now openly say that Rwandophobia has effectively become state policy in the DRC. The constant narrative portraying Rwanda, Rwandophones, and especially Congolese Tutsi as enemies, infiltrators, or assassins is not accidental. It is political messaging. It is meant to create a permanent external enemy to distract the population from internal problems: corruption, looting of resources, military failures, and political incompetence.
The false claim of an assassination attempt against the DRC First Lady fits perfectly into this strategy. Create a scandal, blame Rwanda, mobilize public anger, and shift attention away from the real issues, especially the growing criticism of Tshisekedi’s leadership, the economic situation, and the well known allegations of massive looting by members of the political elite.
But propaganda has one major weakness: it works less and less over time. The more outrageous the stories become, the more people start to question them.
Tshisekedi’s people have only further exposed their crude, uncouth nature with the latest anti-Rwanda smear.
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