When Congo army, and FDLR, fired rockets into Rwanda, Western powers were non-reactive; but now, they suddenly are in uproar – sad!

The Congolese military, FARDC, working alongside exiled Rwandan genocidal forces, FDLR, on 19 March, and on 23 May this year fired rockets that hit Kinigi and Nyange Sectors of Musanze District, as well as in Gahunga Sector of Burera District. The attacks killed people, and damaged property. 

But Rwanda maintained restraint and maturity. So then the FARDC and its terrorist friends FDLR again, on 10 June 2022 at 11:55 am, fired two 122mm rockets into Rwanda, from the Bunagana area. Shells struck along the Rwanda-DRC border in Nyabigoma Cell, Kinigi Sector, Musanze District. Fortunately, there were no casualties although naturally, the local population was terrified. 

In addition to issuing diplomatic protests, Rwanda reported these incidents, including the kidnap by FARDC-FDLR of two RDF soldiers on border patrol, to the Government of DRC, and to the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM) of the ICGLR, as well as other international parties.

During all these incidents, and back and forth diplomatic exchanges, global powers, i.e. the West, were conspicuously silent. Not the USA, France, Germany, Belgium or the UK diplomatic officials as much as raised their voice to rebuke the Congolese government for its dangerous, provocative behaviour towards its neighbour.

This silence was not only shocking, but served to embolden the DRC government which disingenuously continued to deny its provocative actions; and not only that but Kinshasa and it’s propagandists kept making virulent verbal attacks against the Rwandan leadership, and to attempt to trigger angry reactions from Rwanda.

When Rwanda still maintained its restraint, the Congolese regime mounted what it called “a diplomatic offensive against Rwanda”, pushing claims that Rwanda “was supporting the Congolese rebel movement known as M23.” With intensive lobbying and bribery, the international media started granting prominence to the fabricated falsehoods advanced by the Congolese.

Sadly, after Congolese regime fat cats started meeting some known corrupt influential leaders from powerful Western nations, behind the scenes, statements started to fly from all corners, supporting all the falsehoods and outright lies of Kinshasa.

That propaganda is now at deafening level.

It is as if the true genesis of the crisis in the Eastern DRC means nothing to the influential powers.

You would think that the Congolese leaders are children with special needs who should be treated with a lot of special sensitivity.

Unfortunately, this is how the world we live in works. The powerful make decisions, or choose courses of action to serve only their interests, whatever harm that will do to others, or at whatever cost to the less powerful.