At the forum, Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group, a claim Kigali has repeatedly denied. He called on Rwanda to halt the escalation of violence in eastern DRC and extended a public hand to President Paul Kagame, urging cooperation to resolve the crisis.
Tshisekedi insisted that the DRC had never been belligerent towards its neighbours, despite multiple reports of threats to invade Rwanda, bombard Kigali, and overthrow its leadership.
In a hard-hitting post on social media, Nyombayire highlighted contradictions in Tshisekedi’s narrative. She criticised him for presenting himself as a peace-loving leader while repeatedly threatening Rwanda and claiming victimhood in a conflict he has failed to resolve.
She outlined what she described as the true nature of Tshisekedi’s so-called “arm of peace.” Nyombayire alleged that he had armed and supported the FDLR, a genocidal militia formed by perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and integrated them into the national army.
She further accused him of backing militias that persecute and kill civilians based on ethnicity. According to Nyombayire, he also denied the Congolese identity of the M23 to avoid responsibility for resolving the crisis.
Nyombayire added that Tshisekedi sought international assistance while simultaneously undermining signs of progress. She noted that he hired mercenaries to fight his wars, yet still failed to achieve results. Finally, she said he scapegoated Rwanda for the DRC’s failures while leaders enriched themselves at the expense of ordinary citizens.
President Kagame also appeared to dismiss Tshisekedi’s claims, calling them “noise of an empty drum” and urging the international community to ignore them.
“If one makes an issue of noise of an empty drum, they also have a problem! Better to let it pass or walk away from it!!!” President Kagame wrote on X the following remarks by the DRC president.
Citing President Kagame, Nyombayire wrote: “There is no use arguing with those who have repeated their lies long enough; they have come to believe them. There are no lessons Rwanda needs to be taught about the meaning of peace; those of us who have fought for peace know its price.”
The exchanges come amid ongoing tensions between Rwanda and the DRC over the M23 rebel group, which says it represents marginalised Congolese Tutsi and Banyamulenge communities. Rwanda continues to deny supporting the group, pointing instead to the DRC’s security lapses and involvement with armed militias, including the FDLR.
Despite multiple mediation efforts, including a peace deal signed in Washington and dialogue facilitated by Qatar, Rwanda has criticised the DRC for obstructing agreements and lacking the political will to ensure lasting peace.
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