Speaking in an interview with Kenya\u2019s NTV on Saturday, February 8, 2025, Makolo addressed the ongoing insecurity in eastern DRC and the repeated accusations that Rwanda is backing M23.<\/p>\n
She reiterated that Rwanda\u2019s focus is on strengthening its own security and not interfering in the internal affairs of its neighbor.<\/p>\n
She maintained that the conflict in eastern DRC is a Congolese issue that must be resolved internally. She also pointed out that Rwanda is directly affected by the instability across the border, making security a top priority.<\/p>\n
During the interview, NTV journalist Michelle Ngele Odhiambo questioned Makolo about M23\u2019s growing military strength, noting that the rebel group has continued to gain ground, including the strategic city of Goma.<\/p>\n
She referenced analysts who argue that the scale of M23\u2019s operations suggests external support and further mentioned President Paul Kagame\u2019s recent visit to Turkey, where Rwanda reportedly acquired new military equipment.<\/p>\n
There have been claims that some of these weapons found their way into M23\u2019s hands, a suggestion she put forward to Makolo for clarification.<\/p>\n
In response, Makolo firmly stated that Rwanda, like any sovereign nation, has the right to develop its military to safeguard national security. She dismissed the notion that Rwanda\u2019s defense investments were meant for anything other than protecting its own borders and people.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery country, including Kenya and the DRC, buys weapons from different suppliers. It is every nation\u2019s right to protect its security and build its military. This is not a matter for debate,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She went on to explain that the weapons in M23\u2019s possession were largely obtained from the Congolese army itself. According to Makolo, each time M23 defeats the Congolese forces in battle, they leave behind significant amounts of military equipment, which the rebel group then uses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe primary supplier of weapons to M23 is the Congolese military itself. Every time they engage in battle with M23 and lose, they leave behind large quantities of weapons and equipment. That is how M23 has been able to amass weapons,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
Makolo reiterated that Rwanda\u2019s primary concern is its own national security, not M23\u2019s activities.
\n\u201cWe are not preoccupied with M23. They are fighting their own battle for their survival and their right to live on their land in peace, without discrimination or ethnically motivated killings,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur concern is the safety of Rwandans and ensuring that our borders remain secure from the Congolese army, the FDLR, or the over 200 armed groups operating in eastern DRC.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her remarks come as M23 continues to advance, raising concerns about their next possible target, including Bukavu in South Kivu.<\/p>\n
In response to the growing crisis, leaders from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) recently met in Tanzania.<\/p>\n
The summit called for an immediate ceasefire and urged a peaceful resolution through dialogue between the DRC government and all stakeholders, including M23.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rwanda\u2019s government spokesperson, Yolande Makolo, has dismissed allegations that the country\u2019s military investments are linked to supporting the M23 rebel group, which has been engaged in conflict with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":2000081417,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[72,75],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-52907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-featured-news-home","tag-homenews","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"featured_image":{"id":2000081417,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-264.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-264.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-264.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-264.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-264.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-264.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/135"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52907"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52907\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000081417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52907"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=52907"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=52907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}