Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, has warned that some international actors would prefer to see Rwanda weakened, stressing that national defense measures will remain in place as long as the FDLR armed group is still active. He made the remarks during a meeting with members of Rwanda’s National Consultative Forum of Political Organizations on the state of the country’s foreign relations.

Minister Nduhungirehe highlighted that Rwanda’s diplomacy continues to grow stronger, backed by President Paul Kagame’s leadership and the country’s development achievements. Rwanda has opened 47 embassies abroad, including 10 since 2019. However, he noted that peace agreements aimed at resolving instability in eastern DRC have been repeatedly violated, while hate speech and violence targeting Congolese Tutsi and Banyamulenge communities are on the rise.

He also criticized the UN for failing to prevent the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and for continuing to engage with FDLR, a group under international sanctions as a terrorist organization. Referring to the European Parliament’s recent resolution calling for the release of Victoire Ingabire, he described it as “arrogant and colonial,” noting that Rwanda’s judicial independence must be respected.

Political leaders from different parties echoed his remarks, saying Rwanda cannot be dictated to by foreign powers and affirming that all citizens are equal before the law.