Rwanda has strongly criticized comments made by outgoing EU Ambassador Nicolas Berlanga Martínez in Kinshasa, saying his remarks reflect a growing pattern of condescension, hypocrisy, and one-sided diplomacy from some European actors dealing with the Great Lakes region.
Kigali argues that these diplomats routinely ignore the deeper causes of the conflict in eastern Congo while choosing to echo Kinshasa’s political narratives for convenience.
According to senior Rwandan officials, European diplomats often treat the region with a paternalistic mindset rooted in old habits of judgment and selective empathy.
They point out that while former colonial powers offer rhetorical support to President Félix Tshisekedi, they downplay or overlook the Congolese state’s repeated failures: its inability to protect civilians, its tolerance of armed groups, and the atrocities committed against indigenous communities in eastern Congo.
Rwanda sees this pattern as both insulting and harmful to regional stability.
Government Spokesperson Yolande Makolo responded directly to Berlanga’s statement, which claimed that Rwanda has “fewer and fewer excuses” for its actions and urged stricter enforcement of the Washington agreement. Makolo dismissed his remarks as dishonest and politically motivated.
“Not only does the government of the DRC constantly spread lies, but the president even demands that others, like this diplomat, lie for him,” she said.
“The Washington agreements have two signatories: both Rwanda and the DRC are obligated to respect them. If this representative understands the situation as ‘Rwanda’s excuses,’ then he has neither love nor respect for the Congolese nor for the Rwandais, and Africa is better off without him. Good riddance that he leaves.”
Her comments reflect Kigali’s frustration with what it sees as European hypocrisy: siding publicly with a Congolese leadership that spends more time blaming others than confronting its own governance failures.
Rwandan officials argue that Western diplomats have increasingly patronized Tshisekedi because they view him as a weak leader who relies on externalizing blame, especially toward Rwanda, to mask the incompetence of his administration.
Rwanda maintains that the real crisis lies within the DRC itself, where state neglect, militia activity, and widespread abuses against local communities have persisted for decades.
Kigali insists that blaming Rwanda will not resolve the instability or address the atrocities carried out by armed groups in eastern Congo.
Makolo’s sharp response marks a new level of diplomatic tension after the Washington agreements and signals that Rwanda will continue pushing back against what it sees as biased, condescending, and historically tone-deaf commentary from some European officials.