Kigali – President Paul Kagame has warned that Rwanda is facing what he called an “impossible choice” regarding security threats near its borders, particularly from the armed group known as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
Speaking about the ongoing security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo during the diplomatic dinner on 06th March 2026, Kagame said Rwanda cannot simply ignore the presence and activities of the militia group, which has long been accused of destabilizing the region and posing a direct threat to Rwanda’s safety.
“Rwanda faces an impossible choice,” Kagame said. “To either tolerate the continued presence of the FDLR and its growing network of militias and allow them to grow closer to our border, or to defend ourselves and be condemned for it.”
The FDLR, which includes remnants linked to perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda, has been operating in eastern Congo for decades. Kigali has repeatedly raised concerns that the group continues to organize, recruit, and collaborate with other militias in the region.
Rwanda argues that the continued existence of the FDLR represents an existential security threat. According to Rwandan officials, allowing the group to consolidate power near the border could recreate conditions similar to those that led to cross-border attacks in the past.
However, Rwanda’s security actions in the region have often drawn criticism from parts of the international community, with some accusing Kigali of involvement in the conflict inside eastern Congo. Rwandan authorities have consistently rejected these accusations, insisting that the real issue remains the failure to dismantle the FDLR.
For Kigali, the dilemma remains clear: tolerate a hostile militia network moving closer to its borders, or act to protect national security while facing diplomatic pressure and condemnation.
The situation continues to fuel tensions in the Great Lakes region, as regional and international actors search for a lasting solution to the long-standing conflict in eastern Congo.
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