Rwanda’s Attacks on Hariana Veras Reveal Fear, Not Strength

In recent days, a wave of attacks has been launched against Angolan journalist Hariana Veras, not by extremists or anonymous trolls, but by high-ranking Rwandan officials, including Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe. Their accusations range from claims of bias to allegations that she is on Kinshasa’s payroll. The goal is to discredit her reporting, muddy the waters, and shift attention away from Rwanda’s growing international scrutiny for its role in the eastern DRC conflict.

But these attacks reveal far more about Kigali’s fear than about Veras’s credibility.

A Journalist Who Dares to Ask

Hariana Veras has become one of the most impactful African voices in U.S. political circles when it comes to the Great Lakes region. From the White House to Capitol Hill, she has asked the questions that matter, especially those that many in power prefer to ignore. Whether speaking to President Tshisekedi, President Ndayishimiye, or senior U.S. lawmakers, her reporting has centered on Congolese voices, war victims, and the search for accountability in a region scarred by decades of foreign-backed insurgencies.

Veras’s reporting is fact-based, courageous, and consistent, a threat to regimes like Kagame’s that rely on controlling narratives rather than facing reality.

Kigali’s Smear Machine Activates

Foreign Minister Nduhungirehe’s X (formerly Twitter) tirade accused Veras of “bias,” “obsession,” and “fraud,” bizarrely pointing to her public interviews with Congolese leaders and the fact that she used an RTNC microphone, as if that alone proves allegiance.

But the fact is that Hariana Veras is accredited at the White House. Her reporting is published and broadcast independently. Her presence at U.S. congressional hearings reflects not a hidden agenda, but growing recognition of her integrity and investigative rigor.

More telling is that Rwanda’s propaganda machine, from official channels to mouthpieces like Igihe, has launched coordinated hit pieces filled with insinuation but devoid of evidence. These attacks only underscore Kigali’s discomfort with Veras’s work and how close her reporting comes to exposing the truth.

A Response Rooted in Integrity

In response, Veras posted the following:

“I stand firmly by my professional integrity as a journalist committed to truth, accuracy, and ethical reporting… Intimidation or pressure from any government does not alter my principles or my duty to inform with honesty and clarity.” Read full post here

This isn’t just a statement; it’s a journalistic declaration of independence. Her refusal to bow to smear campaigns reflects the exact qualities that make her such a powerful voice for the Congolese people and African people: resilience, professionalism, and moral clarity.

Kigali Fears What It Cannot Control

Rwanda’s own record on press freedom is well documented. Reporters Without Borders ranks Rwanda near the bottom globally, placing it alongside regimes like North Korea. Journalists are jailed, independent media is shuttered, and dissent is criminalized. In this context, lectures on “journalistic ethics” from Kigali are not just laughable; they are sinister attempts to deflect from a war of aggression.

As Von Batten-Montague-York, a Washington-based firm, responded publicly to Nduhungirehe:

“Your President, @PaulKagame, continues to hide behind your wife’s skirt… Journalist Hariana Veras operates on a level far above yours.” Read full post here

Why This Matters

At a time when Rwanda faces mounting evidence of war crimes in eastern Congo, the Kagame regime is desperate to discredit any journalist brave enough to tell the truth. But it won’t work.

Hariana Veras represents a new generation of African journalists who cannot be bought, bullied, or silenced. Her work doesn’t just inform, it empowers victims, challenges impunity, and helps reshape global understanding of Congo’s long-ignored war.

But why is Rwanda so afraid of a journalist armed only with a microphone?

Because when truth threatens power, those with something to hide will always try to shoot the messenger.