Diplomatic friction between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo has intensified after the DRC accused Rwandan agents of trying to enter First Lady Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi’s hotel room in Washington, D.C., during her U.S. visit.
Rwanda rejected the claims, calling them a distortion of a minor hallway encounter amid ongoing rebel conflicts in eastern DRC.
Tensions between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have spiked following an alleged security incident at a Washington, D.C., hotel involving DRC First Lady Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi.
Nyakeru is attending the Intergenerational Dialogue Summit of the Fostering the Future Together Coalition, led by former U.S. First Lady Melania Trump.
DRC spokesperson Patrick Muyaya Katembwe claimed Rwandan security operatives tried to access her room around midday New York time. Her security team intervened, leading to a brief scuffle before the suspects escaped. Nyakeru was unharmed, and U.S. authorities were informed.
The Rwandan Embassy in Washington dismissed the accusations as a ‘gross misrepresentation.’ They described it as an unarmed Rwandan security member accidentally meeting DRC agents in a public hotel hallway, with a brief elevator access issue resolved peacefully. The Rwandan delegation then moved to a different hotel.
This clash occurs against a backdrop of strained ties, fueled by DRC allegations that Rwanda backs the M23/AFC rebels—a charge Kigali denies. The group, led by Bertrand Bisimwa and Gen. Sultan Makenga since 2022, fights what it calls corruption and discrimination in DRC, controlling areas in North and South Kivu, including Goma and Kavumu airports.
Reports also emerged of M23/AFC withdrawals from positions in Lubero Territory, such as Kitsumbiro and Kipese, and Bukununu in Rutshuru. Wazalendo militia, allied with DRC forces, moved into some vacated spots. No official DRC comment linked these moves to the Washington incident.
Analysts are monitoring if these events signal escalating regional strife.
