Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, has said Rwanda should not be expected to once again provide safe passage to mercenaries hired by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) when they are defeated by M23 rebels.
On January 29, 2025, more than 280 mercenaries fighting alongside the Congolese army in North Kivu were forced to retreat. They crossed into Rwanda and later boarded flights from Kigali back to Europe.
On September 29, DRC’s Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani Lukoo wrote on social media, referring to “Blackwater,” a private military company linked to Erik Prince, a former member of the U.S. Navy SEALs.
Minister Nduhungirehe noted that only in the DRC could a senior government official casually joke about the deployment of mercenaries in his own country despite international conventions that prohibit such practices, including those of the United Nations and the African Union.
He further pointed out that after the humiliation of Romanian mercenaries in Goma earlier this year—who eventually returned home through Rwanda the Congolese government has now reportedly turned to Colombian fighters through Blackwater.
According to Nduhungirehe, employing mercenaries not only violates international principles but also contradicts commitments made under the Washington Peace Agreement and the Doha guiding principles, both designed to help the DRC achieve lasting stability. “I am confident that Rwanda will not again be asked to facilitate the repatriation of another group of mercenaries,” he stated.
There are growing fears of renewed escalation, as M23 accuses the Congolese army and its mercenary allies of launching fresh attacks on civilians and rebel-controlled territories. The group has vowed to continue defending itself.
Recent offensives attributed to the DRC coalition have targeted areas including Mpeti in Walikale Territory, Minjenje in Masisi, and Mikenke in Mwenga. Reports indicate the use of warplanes and CH-4 drones in these operations.
Author: Justinmind HARERIMANA
