The Rwandan leader pointed out that the 99 other players—including multinational corporations and foreign governments—are the real beneficiaries of DRC’s minerals, extracting billions of dollars while leaving the Congolese people in poverty. According to Kagame, those powerful entities control the global narrative through their influence over international media and politics, ensuring that blame is directed away from them.
Kagame further suggested that several foreign interests operate in close collaboration with DRC President Félix Tshisekedi. These entities, he said, are not only reaping the rewards of DRC’s chaotic governance but also using the country’s instability as a cover for their economic exploitation.
“They have the power of the media, politics, and global influence,” Kagame noted. “And most of them probably have a stake in companies jointly operated with Tshisekedi.”
Dismissing claims that Rwanda is interfering in the DRC for economic reasons, Kagame stressed that Kigali’s primary concern is security, not minerals.
“Ours is about security. If we are not assured of long-term security, we cannot be thinking about minerals. That would be the last thing on our minds,” he emphasized.
Rwanda has repeatedly accused the Congolese government of harboring armed groups hostile to Rwanda, particularly the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which includes remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Kagame’s remarks highlight growing frustrations over what he sees as a deliberate distortion of facts to protect powerful interests while using Rwanda as a scapegoat. The DRC conflict, he argues, is not about Rwanda or minerals, but rather a complex mix of poor governance, foreign exploitation, and global politics.
As the crisis deepens, Kagame’s statement challenges the international community to reassess the real drivers of instability in the DRC—and who truly benefits from the ongoing conflict.