“If one makes an issue of the noise of an empty drum, they also have a problem! Better to let it pass or walk away from it.” With this short yet pointed remark, President Paul Kagame sent ripples through the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, in what observers interpreted as a thinly veiled response to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi — increasingly dubbed the region’s “empty drum,” making the loudest noise.
Earlier in the day, President Tshisekedi had struck a conciliatory tone, telling forum participants that he had “never displayed a belligerent attitude toward Rwanda, Uganda, or any neighboring country.”
He added, “It is not too late to do things right. I take this forum as witness to extend my hand, Mr. President, so that we make peace of the brave.”
He also called on Kagame to “order M23 troops, supported by your country, to stop the escalation which has cost too many lives.”
Yet the appeal was met with outright dismissal by Rwandan officials and regional observers, who cited Tshisekedi’s history of incendiary rhetoric.
Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe called the remarks “political theatrics that have become ridiculous,” accusing Tshisekedi of turning a development forum into a stage for baseless accusations. “The only person who can stop this escalation is President Tshisekedi himself,” Nduhungirehe said, “by ending his belligerent attitude, including threats to invade Rwanda or bomb Kigali.”
Tshisekedi’s denial of hostility contrasts sharply with his past statements. In December 2023, during a rally in Bukavu, he compared Kagame to Adolf Hitler, declaring, “I promise he will end up like Hitler.”
A year later, he told the Congolese Parliament he was ready to seek authorization to attack Rwanda “at the slightest skirmish.” On another occasion, he claimed, “from our territory, we can reach Kigali without sending ground troops.”
These statements, widely circulated in regional media, have fueled mockery that Tshisekedi’s Brussels posture is motivated more by political optics than genuine reconciliation.
Activist Nathalie Yamb mocked the DRC leader online, writing: “Was that a declaration of love?”; a jab at the gap between his threats and professed desire for peace.
Kagame’s “empty drum” metaphor, delivered calmly and without naming anyone, was interpreted as a sharp yet dignified rebuke of Tshisekedi’s attempts to portray himself as a peacemaker.
The remark reverberated across African and international media, highlighting Kagame’s skill in undercutting critics without direct confrontation.
Tensions between Kigali and Kinshasa remain among the most pressing security challenges in the Great Lakes region.
While Tshisekedi continues to accuse Rwanda of backing the M23 rebellion, Kigali insists Congo’s internal governance failures and alliances with FDLR genocidal militias are at the heart of the crisis.
As diplomats in Brussels discussed sustainable partnerships under the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, the verbal exchange between Kagame and Tshisekedi underscored the deep mistrust and ongoing political theater defining relations between the two neighbors; a reminder that, in Central Africa’s delicate balance of peace and rhetoric, even the sound of an “empty drum” can echo far beyond the room.