In an interview with Jeune Afrique’s François Soudan, published on Friday, April 3, Rwandan President Paul Kagame addressed growing international scrutiny over Rwanda’s role in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Head of State pushed back against accusations, sanctions, and calls for troop withdrawal, framing Rwanda’s actions as necessary defensive measures against persistent threats particularly from the genocidal group FDLR and its splinter groups funded by the Congolese regime. The Rwandan leader emphasized that the conflict did not originate from Rwanda and castigated what he described as selective international pressure that ignores root causes.
Kagame strongly defended Rwanda’s refusal to lift its security posture, reaffirming that the defensive measures are a direct response to real and ongoing threats. He went further to question the logic behind the international community’s demands for Rwanda to scale back protections while the underlying danger remains unaddressed.
“We refuse to remove defensive measures. Whether it means troops or troops and whatever else, we call it defensive measures. In your logic, why would a threat be against me? And you are asking me to remove my defensive measures, but you are not dealing with a threat. What is the logic,” President Kagame questioned.
FULL INTERVIEW: https://youtu.be/jBTZKT2uTe4?si=qQvvNR6KEwKVnllX
President of Rwanda also rejected claims that Rwanda is diplomatically isolated, instead framing the situation as a misreading of a conflict that Kigali did not start. He argued that the real issue lies in long-standing negligence and external support to hostile actors threatening Rwanda’s security and stability.
“There are many ways of looking at it, but for those who want to look at it that way, I can’t stop them. The way this conflict started, it was not started by Rwanda, it did not originate from Rwanda. That negligence continues to constitute a threat against Rwanda, especially when it is being fed and supported by a government,” he added.
Kagame criticized sanctions and international pressure, describing them as unfair and counterproductive. He said such actions ignore the root causes of the conflict and instead place blame on Rwanda simply because it is convenient to do so.
“Sanctions, all kinds of threats, they are literally just insults being hurled at Rwanda as if we have done anything, other than defending ourselves, It’s like you are blaming the victim and praising the perpetrator. The easiest thing to do here is to blame Rwanda but can it give a solution when you are keeping quiet about the real issues, the root cause?” he noted.
Kagame reiterated that Rwanda will not lift its defensive measures until the FDLR is fully neutralized, maintaining that national security cannot be compromised. He also revealed Tshisekedi’s continued alignment with hostile groups, reinforcing Rwanda’s position that the threat is both real and ongoing.
Rwanda’s stance remains unchanged, her actions are driven by security necessity, and any lasting solution must address the root causes of the conflict rather than apportioning blame on Rwanda.
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