Rwandan President Paul Kagame has said the military coalition that fought alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the battle for Goma was effectively attempting to wage war against Rwanda, arguing that the scale and composition of forces assembled in eastern Congo went far beyond a campaign against the M23 rebels.
Speaking during a Unity Club dialogue in Kigali on Saturday, Kagame said Rwanda found itself facing an unprecedented alliance that included the Congolese army (FARDC), Burundian troops, South African-led regional forces, local Wazalendo militias, the FDLR and foreign mercenaries.
“In Eastern Congo, in Goma and elsewhere, the whole world came together against Rwanda,” Kagame said.
“The whole world lined up against Rwanda: the FDLR and all the groups associated with it, the Wazalendo, the Burundian forces, the FARDC, the South Africans and many others.”
“When you look at the scale of what they had assembled there and what they were up against, it is clear that what they were trying to do was wage war against Rwanda, destabilize our country and reshape it the way they wanted.”
He added: “In fact, they said so themselves.”
Kagame’s remarks refer to the January battle for Goma, which saw M23 rebels capture eastern Congo’s largest city after defeating a coalition comprising the Congolese army (FARDC), Burundian troops, pro-government Wazalendo militias and the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), led by South Africa.
The fighting resulted in the deaths of at least 14 South African soldiers and dealt one of the biggest military setbacks to Kinshasa in years.
The DRC, the United Nations and several Western governments have accused Rwanda of backing M23 and deploying troops in eastern Congo, allegations Kigali has consistently denied.
Rwanda has maintained that the presence of the FDLR, a militia linked to perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and its cooperation with Congolese forces pose a direct threat to Rwanda’s security.
Kagame also pointed to the recruitment of foreign mercenaries by Kinshasa as evidence that the coalition believed it could defeat M23 and threaten Rwanda.
“To convince themselves that what they wanted was within reach and that they were going to achieve it, they even brought in mercenaries,” he said.
Following the fall of Goma, more than 280 Romanian military contractors who had been hired by the Congolese government sought refuge at a UN base before being allowed to transit through Rwanda and return home.
“You know that many of them passed through here. We gave free passage to our enemies, allowing them to leave a war they waged against us, a war that was never theirs to begin with,” Kagame said. “That alone tells you something.”
He praised the forces that fought alongside Rwanda, saying they deserved recognition for overcoming what he described as a much larger coalition.
“It is also something for which our forces, together with others who stood with them, deserve recognition,” he said.
The Rwandan leader said his country would continue to remain vigilant against external threats.
“As for Rwanda, we will always be in a struggle for our very existence. Regardless of those who wish us harm, surrounding us from many sides, one thing remains true: we should and will always be a step ahead of them.”
“It is our right. It is our will. And our history has taught us that we have within ourselves the capacity to defend and protect ourselves whenever necessary. And that is exactly what we will continue to do.”
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