Rwanda’s recent reaction to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s announcement of plans to reopen Goma International Airport for humanitarian operations has reignited concerns over Kigali’s true intentions in the region.
Speaking at the Conference on Peace and Prosperity in Paris, Rwanda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, declared that “the decision [to reopen the airport] must be taken within the framework of the Doha negotiations,” referring to ongoing talks between the M23/AFC rebellion and the Congolese government.
Behind this seemingly procedural statement lies something far more troubling: an open assertion of Rwanda’s influence over the M23 and a direct interference in the sovereign affairs of the DRC.
A blow to humanitarian relief efforts
The Rwandan stance is particularly alarming because it effectively blocks humanitarian access to one of the world’s most severe crises. The United Nations and major aid agencies describe the situation in eastern Congo as one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes in modern history, with millions displaced and dependent on emergency assistance.
By conditioning the reopening of Goma’s airport—a critical humanitarian lifeline—on the progress of political negotiations in Doha, Kigali is weaponizing human suffering for political leverage. It is a decision that prioritizes geopolitical calculation over human life.
An unmistakable admission of control over M23
Minister Nduhungirehe’s statement amounts to an unambiguous acknowledgment of Rwanda’s command influence over the M23 movement. By asserting that a sovereign Congolese decision should depend on rebel approval, Kigali confirms what regional observers and UN experts have long alleged: the M23 is not an independent actor, but a proxy force advancing Rwandan strategic objectives inside Congolese territory.
This is not merely interference—it is an admission of orchestration.
A second obstruction to the dual peace tracks of Washington and Doha
This is not the first time Rwanda has undercut international peace efforts. Kigali recently introduced new measures designating several Rwandan opposition figures—including leaders of the FDLR—as terrorists. The move is widely viewed as an attempt to discourage exiles from returning home, effectively sabotaging efforts to address Rwanda’s long-standing internal ethnic and political tensions—tensions that Kigali itself claims are the root causes of the conflicts in eastern Congo.
By undermining both the Washington and Doha peace tracks, Rwanda has once again positioned itself as a spoiler rather than a partner in the search for regional stability.
A pattern of obstruction spanning two decades
This latest obstruction fits a familiar pattern. In 2005, the Rwandan government rejected a peace offer from the FDLR, who had publicly renounced armed struggle in the Rome Declaration brokered by the Community of Sant’Egidio with support from Kinshasa.
Instead of facilitating their safe return, Kigali has consistently disrupted DDRRR repatriation programs (Disarmament, Demobilization, Repatriation, Reintegration, and Resettlement).
Worse still, credible reports—detailed notably by the independent outlet Congo Guardian—indicate that some repatriated ex-combatants were re-deployed back into Congo, instructed to attack Tutsi communities. The goal: to sustain the narrative of ethnic insecurity as a convenient pretext for Rwanda’s recurring military interventions.
One obstruction too many
Rwanda’s posture regarding Goma Airport is one obstruction too many—a stark reminder of Kigali’s enduring role as both arsonist and firefighter in the Great Lakes region.
At a time when the international community calls for genuine cooperation to end the cycles of war, Rwanda’s stance sends a deeply cynical message: that its strategic interests outweigh humanitarian imperatives, regional stability, and the sovereignty of its neighbor.
If peace in eastern Congo is ever to take hold, the world must recognize these repeated acts for what they are—deliberate obstacles to peace, cloaked in the language of diplomacy.
