Patrick Muyaya: “The Victim Has Become the Perpetrator”

Kinshasa – Government spokesman and Minister of Communication Patrick Muyaya has sharply responded to Rwandan officials who dismissed the Democratic Republic of Congo’s campaign for international recognition of the genocides committed in its eastern provinces.

Speaking in an interview and later amplifying his remarks on social media, Muyaya accused Kigali of engaging in denial, provocation, and what he called a “philosophy of permanent glorification of violence.”

Rwanda’s “low-level narrative”

Referring to comments by Rwanda’s Foreign Minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, who labeled Congo’s démarche “stupid,” Muyaya said such remarks only reveal the depths of cynicism in Kigali’s political class.

“They always go very low. As for us, our narrative will never go that low,” Muyaya declared.

He stressed that the DRC’s pursuit of genocide recognition is not meant to oppose Rwanda’s past suffering but to ensure memory, justice, and accountability for Congolese victims.

• READ ALSO: Patrick Muyaya: “We must not give Rwanda any pretext for war.”

Victim turned perpetrator

Muyaya recalled that Congolese people once stood in solidarity with Rwandans during the 1994 genocide. But, he argued, history has since reversed roles.

“Unfortunately, what we are experiencing today is the victim who has become the perpetrator,” he said.

The minister noted that since 1997, under “false pretenses,” Rwandan-backed forces have left a trail of massacres in eastern Congo. Estimates put the human toll at up to 10 million lives lost.

Memory, justice, and accountability

The government’s campaign, according to Muyaya, is anchored in two principles: memory for the victims and pursuit of accountability. Through institutions such as Fonarev (National Fund for Reparations) and partnerships with research bodies like Cia-Var, the DRC is documenting crimes, identifying perpetrators, and preparing cases for justice.

“What we are doing today is work for our memory, and nothing can stop us,” Muyaya emphasized.

He also pointed to harrowing testimonies from sites of massacres such as Kasika and Makobola, underscoring that these atrocities cannot be erased or forgotten.

• READ ALSO: Muyaya on France 24: DRC Will Win War, Genocide Must Be Recognized

“Why does Rwanda feel targeted?”

Asked why Rwanda reacts so aggressively to Congo’s démarche, Muyaya responded bluntly:

“Because they know they are responsible for most of these massacres.”

He accused Kigali of hiding behind narratives of protection for certain communities in eastern Congo, while in reality fueling cycles of violence.

A call to the world

The DRC has been pressing the United Nations and the wider international community to formally recognize the genocides committed on its territory. For Kinshasa, it is not only about justice for the past, but also about preventing future atrocities.

“We do it to honor the victims, for their memories, including so that it doesn’t happen again,” Muyaya said.