Paul Kagame: A Regime of Brutality and Destruction in the DRC

Kagame’s involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through his military’s support of the M23 rebel group has not only exacerbated a devastating humanitarian crisis but also directly implicated his regime in mass atrocities. The latest report from Human Rights Watch in 2024 [ HRW ] highlights the horrors inflicted by Kagame’s forces in the DRC, with the deaths of innocent civilians—many of them children—standing as a chilling testament to his reign of terror.

Kagame’s regime, alongside the M23, has engaged in indiscriminate attacks on displacement camps in Goma, North Kivu province, causing unimaginable suffering to those already fleeing violence. On May 3, 2024, the Rwandan Defense Force and M23 fired rockets into the Mugunga displacement camp, killing at least 17 civilians, including 15 children.

These attacks were not accidents; satellite imagery, videos, and photographs confirmed that the targets were civilian shelters. The deliberate nature of these actions indicates a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and a callous disregard for human life. These are not isolated incidents but part of a broader campaign of violence and repression orchestrated by Kagame’s government.

Despite repeated denials by Rwanda, the evidence is overwhelming. Rwandan forces have established a stronghold in North Kivu, cutting off crucial supply routes to Goma and seizing control of territories through brute force. Over 2.4 million people have been displaced by the conflict, and more than half a million are now crammed into precarious camps around Goma, facing relentless shelling, sexual violence, and starvation. The people trapped in these camps are left with no safe options—whether they stay or attempt to return home, death looms at every turn.

Kagame's regime, which claims to be a beacon of progress, is in fact steeped in bloodshed and violence. The shelling of densely populated civilian areas violates every principle of the Geneva Conventions, yet Kagame continues to act with impunity. The regime’s support of M23 and other armed groups has brought terror to the DRC, creating a power vacuum filled with corruption, abuse, and exploitation. These rebel groups, backed by Kagame, have subjected innocent civilians to heinous crimes, including rape, torture, and forced detentions, often without consequences. Women in particular have suffered disproportionately, enduring sexual violence both inside the camps and while foraging for basic necessities like firewood.

Kagame’s involvement in war crimes in the DRC is no longer a matter of speculation; it is a documented fact. His government must face sanctions, and he must be held responsible for the endless suffering his military campaigns have caused. The impunity enjoyed by Kagame and his generals cannot continue without consequence.

Paul Kagame’s actions in the DRC are a stark reminder that beneath his carefully cultivated image of development lies a regime that thrives on violence, instability, and terror. The atrocities committed by his army and the M23 group under his control reveal the true nature of his rule—a dictatorship that spreads death and destruction far beyond Rwanda’s borders. For the millions of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire, Kagame’s reign has been nothing short of a nightmare, one that the world can no longer afford to ignore.