OPEN LETTER: Rwanda Has No Authority Over Congolese Civic Life

Dear Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe,

Your portrayal of the Banyamulenge visit to Bujumbura is misleading and politically selective. The Banyamulenge are Congolese Citizens, and their right to organize, travel, and engage with regional leaders, including in Burundi, is entirely a matter of Congolese civic and political life. It is not Rwanda’s role to approve, condemn, or manipulate these interactions.

Framing them as “ROGUE” or instruments of manipulation ignores the reality that Rwanda itself has repeatedly been accused of supporting armed groups, including the M23, used to destabilize eastern Congo, and Red Tabara, reportedly trained in Rwanda and linked to attacks on Banyamulenge communities in Minembwe. Attempting to delegitimize Congolese advocacy while allegedly engaging in proxy violence exposes a clear double standard.

Your suggestion that these citizens should “witness” abuses ignores the primary responsibility of Rwanda to respect its neighbors’ sovereignty, withdraw troops from Eastern Congo, and abide by agreements such as the Washington Peace Accord. Civic engagement by Congolese communities is not a matter for Rwanda’s approval, nor should it be framed as serving any political agenda.

Let us be clear: no state in this region, neither Rwanda nor its ministers, has the mandate to dictate the legitimate interactions of sovereign peoples and nations. Not in Goma, not in Bujumbura, not anywhere. Credible leadership and regional stability depend on respecting sovereignty, honoring commitments, and engaging in transparent, principled diplomacy, not selective narratives and political posturing.

Respectfully,

By Nadia Mugunga