The United Nations Security Council has, for the first time, directly condemned Rwanda for allegedly supporting the M23 rebellion in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), while failing to acknowledge MONUSCO’s long-standing failure to protect civilians from ethnic violence and persecution.
The resolution, adopted unanimously, calls for the “immediate” withdrawal of Rwandan troops, stating it “strongly condemns the offensive and the ongoing advance of the M23 in North and South Kivu with the support of the Rwandan defence forces.” However, this condemnation sidesteps the suffering of Congolese Tutsi communities, who have faced decades of discrimination, massacres, and sexual violence.
For families like that of Joseph Nzirabatinya, a Congolese Tutsi from Masisi, the UN’s statement is an insult to those who have been abandoned to their fate. “My father was burned alive in our home by the Mai-Mai in 2012. My mother was raped and killed. MONUSCO was just a few kilometers away, but they did nothing. Who protected us? No one,” he says, his voice shaking. “Now they condemn those who are trying to fight back?”
The UN’s decision comes despite mounting evidence that the Congolese government has enabled the resurgence of the FDLR, a militia formed by perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The FDLR has been accused of systematic attacks against Congolese Tutsi, yet little international outcry has followed.
A former MONUSCO officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted the peacekeeping mission had largely failed. “We were stationed in eastern Congo for years, and we saw the massacres happening. The problem was, we were not authorized to engage properly. We were just there, watching. And now, instead of addressing MONUSCO’s failures, the UN is scapegoating Rwanda.”
Rwanda has denied backing M23, arguing that the root causes of the conflict lie in the DRC’s governance failures, ethnic discrimination, and the unchecked operations of armed groups like the FDLR. “It is absurd that Rwanda is condemned for allegedly supporting a rebellion against genocidal forces, while those responsible for the atrocities continue to operate freely in DRC,” said a Rwandan government official.
The UN resolution raises serious questions about the international community’s priorities. If MONUSCO had fulfilled its mandate, would M23 have even re-emerged? If the Congolese government had protected all its citizens equally, would armed groups have taken up arms?
As fighting intensifies and displacement numbers soar, the UN’s condemnation appears more like diplomatic posturing than a real solution. Meanwhile, people like Joseph Nzirabatinya and thousands of other Congolese Tutsi remain trapped between a government that has failed them and an international community that refuses to acknowledge their suffering.