PAUL KAGAME ON DRC: We Won't Be Silenced, Or Massage Problems

PAUL KAGAME ON DRC: We Won’t Be Silenced, Or Massage Problems

Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame, has recently stated that his country cannot accept responsibility for the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In a statement, Kagame stated that the DRC began the situation and Rwanda was obliged to bear the blame, which they will not.

He went on to warn that they will not remain quiet about the situation since it poses a security concern to Rwanda.

He stated that despite several attempts to have the DRC take action to remedy the issue, their requests have not been heard.

“This war was started by the DRC and not anything from Rwanda. It was just brought and put on our shoulders, and we were told to own it. We can’t own it. There is no question about it,” Kagame said.

“DRC cannot just tell us to keep quiet when they are mounting a security problem against our country. Nobody can tell us to shut up.

We have been begging DRC and its leaders for a long time, we have shared our issues and asked DRC to address them, and they have refused.

Let us… pic.twitter.com/PZgxpA0oQV
— Presidency | Rwanda (@UrugwiroVillage) February 8, 2025

“DRC cannot just tell us to keep quiet when they are mounting a security problem against our country. Nobody can tell us to shut up.

“We have been begging DRC and its leaders for a long time, we have shared our issues and asked DRC to address them, and they have refused,” the Rwandan president stated.

Kagame urged the EAC-SADC leaders meeting in Tanzania to find practical solutions to their difficulties.

He stressed that such discussions could not continue if they resulted in no meaningful solutions to the challenges highlighted.

The Rwandan president claimed that the DRC’s problems are caused by ethnic conflict, which spills over into Rwanda in the form of attacks.

“Let us not just have another meeting like the many we have had. We can’t go on forever massaging problems,” Kagame said.

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“What is happening is an ethnic war that has been brewing for a long time, denying people’s rights and then attacking Rwanda.”

He continued: “You must recognise people’s rights and take a step and resolve the issue. Let us use this meeting in a manner that will put into account all these matters seriously and find a lasting solution.”

The EAC-SADC Joint Summit was conducted on Saturday and is anticipated to resolve the worsening situation in the DRC.

🔵Rwandan President Paul Kagame arriving and greeting regional leaders at the joint Southern African Development Community and East African Community emergency summit on the Democratic Republic of Congo conflict in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. pic.twitter.com/1p6WkA1Rn6
— TheNewsHawks (@NewsHawksLive) February 8, 2025